BP has two spills on North Slope

Petroleum News Alaska

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. had two spills in as many days at Prudhoe Bay. The first, Feb. 19 at 7:40 p.m., at well 8 on Drill Site 7, was an undetermined amount of crude oil from a hole or leak on a valve on the tree portion of the well.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said Feb. 20 that the exact cause had not yet been determined.

After the leak was discovered, automated and manual valves were closed but they did not control the well. DEC said BP pumped approximately 600 barrels of seawater down the well to stop the release by controlling formation pressure. The well was brought under control and additional seawater will continue to be pumped down hole to keep pressure on the formation.

DEC said BP estimated approximately 400 square yards of snow was contaminated by oil and was surveying the spill area to determine if the spill extended off the well pad.

The second spill was from a six-inch flow line from D pad to Gathering Center 1 in the western operating area at Prudhoe.

The DEC said BP estimated this spill at 112 to 224 barrels of crude oil. The flow line ruptured at 2:25 a.m. Feb. 20 while BP workers were thawing ice within the line using crude oil and methanol. Line capacity is 224 barrels and the line appeared to be about half full of oil at the time of the rupture.

Crude oil from the flow line spilled onto the snow and tundra.

The DEC said BP closed valves on both sides of the flow line rupture. BP personnel were cleaning up with a vacuum truck. The oil is beneath the snow cover and BP is delineating the area affected. An estimated 35 barrels of crude oil had been recovered by early afternoon Feb. 20.