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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: Arctic Alchemy Colville Inc.’s solid waste department manages creative recycling in adverse conditions Susan Braund Petroleum Directory Contributing Writer
Turning lead into gold is any good alchemist’s dream. Colville Inc., however, doesn’t stop at dreams. The long-time North Slope service and supply company does its best to transform solid waste into something reusable. Whether it’s converting oily waste into electricity or wood debris into heat, the company persistently researches ways to increase its recycling efforts on the North Slope.
“Our goal is to reduce the amount of trash to the landfill. The less we add, the better; there’s only so much useful life in a landfill,” says Dan Merchen, who is co-lead of the solid waste department with alternate Rob Peterson. “We can help if we find homes and more uses for trash. It’s our biggest challenge.” Diversified business Owned by brothers Jeff and Mark Helmericks, who grew up in the Colville River Delta, and their sister-in-law, Teena, Colville Inc. is continually streamlining and improving the services it provides to the oilfield industry, including bulk fuel, solid waste services and industrial supplies. In 1990 business changes prompted a name change from Colville Environmental Services to Colville, Inc.
“We always try to have irons in the fire to keep things going. We don’t want the business to become stagnant or outmoded,” says Keith Silver, Colville’s vice president of finance. “We are dedicated to providing fuel and services required by the oilfield — we want to be here for the long run!”
Although the company evolved out of a family-owned guiding and consulting business, Colville’s fuel operations officially began in 1985 and have expanded over the years by adding custom trucks and services. With its specialized knowledge of bulk fuel in the Arctic and operators with years of northern driving experience, Colville now provides the majority of fuel in Prudhoe industrial area. 2000 was a very good year In April of 2000, Colville Inc. not only purchased Brooks Range Supply, a major provider of commodities and parts on the slope, but also started up its solid waste division that is now the largest provider of solid waste utility services in the North Slope industrial area.
Solid Waste Removal — Facing winds, temperatures and time constraints (North Slope Borough landfill hours), Colville’s drivers load refuse and bring it back to the yard for sorting. They employ the Stellar hook system, which loads full containers and exchanges them for empties. The hook trucks minimize travel time by moving three dumpsters in one trip. “We started our solid waste program by sending out one guy in a little blue compactor truck to drum up some business,” says operations manager Bill Lyons. “Now we have five trucks and a BobCat dedicated to the department.”
“We are on-demand refuse hauling,” says Merchen. “Customers call for service when their dumpsters are full. We have one driver on the truck all the time and one person in the yard that processes and sorts. We try to pull as much out as we can for recycling.”
“The solid waste crew has done a remarkable job,” says Colville chief Jeff Helmericks. “We started with 14 people when they took over. Now we’re down to three per shift.” Arctic alchemy “Recycling is simple in theory, but in Alaska it is more challenging because of transportation issues and sometimes you just can’t find an avenue to take it. But, we’re making good progress. Tires, for example, are recapped and put back into use in Alaska. Those that are not reusable are chipped and put into use as bumpers, playground mats and road surfacing material.”
Colville boxes up and ships oily waste to Spokane where it is used to generate electricity, sends metal to Fairbanks for recycling, burns wood construction debris in a pallet burner that heats two of Colville’s warehouses and compacts waste headed for the landfill to lessen volume. Although trash is picked up only west of the Kuparuk River, recycling services are offered for the entire oil field.
“Our main focus is on the recycle and minimization of the waste that gets buried. At the end of the day, recycling is just the right thing to do,” says Helmericks. “We’re aggressive about finding markets. So far the best solutions seem to be low tech. But, who would have thought that one of our biggest challenges would be to find a way to recycle a two by four in Alaska!”
Recycling is labor and cost intensive, according to Lyons. “There’s no way around it. We do the best we can, but it can get overwhelming at times. Anyone interested in recycling metal or wood or any trash they can find a use for, can contact us.”
Although transportation in Alaska is expensive, many freight containers return south empty. Colville’s far north recyclers have been able to take advantage of less expensive back haul rates, which help make recycling more economically feasible.
Brooks Range Supply — Known as “Your Source on the Slope,” Brooks Range Supply has a deeply carved a niche as a North Slope supplier. The company, originally Prudhoe Bay Supply, has been a commodities and parts touchstone for slope companies since 1980 and directly on the slope since 1984. The company is a full line parts and industrial supply company selling any and all products associated with work in the oil field. After parts, commodities are the second-line mainstay, items like lumber, paint supplies, cold weather gear, safety and welding supplies, fittings and other essentials to working in remote locations. When Colville acquired the company, it opened a complementary avenue to provide oilfield customers with what they need when they need it. More change in the wind Just as the purchase of BRS complemented existing services, Colville’s recently announced purchase of the Prudhoe Bay General Store enhances what Brooks Range is already offering. Both stores and the post office will be housed in the existing Brooks Range building, with the General Store and post office occupying the upstairs.
It may not be Ye Old General Store with the pot-bellied stove and conversation rockers, but the combination of the businesses will be inviting to consumers with its one-stop- shopping convenience and extended hours. Brooks Range will continue its need-it-right-now parts service and routine operations and maintenance parts, but the addition of the General Store will make items like cold medications, toothpaste, tobacco, magazines and other sundries more readily available. Items like Carhartts and Red Wing boots will move downstairs for 24/7 accessibility.
“It’s an excellent opportunity to enhance what is available to the public and to enhance what is sold at Brooks Range Supply,” says Silver. “We plan to open January 1.”
Helmericks is enthusiastic about the purchase: “This is a good fit; it’s the other side of the retail trade. It all came together rather quickly, but it’s a good fit.” A tight team Colville employees are knowledgeable and experienced in what it takes to succeed in the Arctic. “We have a good group on the slope, a good crew. They are hard-working, seasoned employees that get the job done.” says Lyons.
From the employee viewpoint, Merchen echoes the sentiment. “Colville is an excellent place to work. It’s impressive what they’ve done from where they started. All the changes are another opportunity for those who work here. I think with current leadership, if we all pull together, we are on the way to being a major concern on the slope.”
Helmericks believes that employees typically produce better results if you allow them the freedom to provide the service. “Plus, they refine my visions with solutions I never even thought of. I’m always impressed by what they produce, and it’s gratifying to see them take stewardship and express the desire to move on with the company.”
Editor’s note: Susan Braund owns Firestar Media Services in Anchorage, Alaska.
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