Two small cracks found in SeaRiver North Slope

Petroleum News Alaska

Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. said divers found two small cracks in the side of number 3 starboard cargo tank on the SeaRiver North Slope.

Tanker personnel had found a light sheen alongside the vessel at noon May 8 during loading operations at the Valdez Marine Terminal and loading was suspended.

Divers were called in from Anchorage to investigate the sheen. They found nothing during the night May 8, but when diving resumed May 9 they found two hairline cracks in the side plating of number 3 starboard cargo tank about 8 feet below the waterline.

Alyeska said that SeaRiver and the U.S. Coast Guard worked out a revised loading plan to prevent the potential for any additional release of oil and the ship left Valdez May 10. Alyeska also said the ship will be repaired before it returns to Valdez.

The sheen was contained within boom around the ship and the Alyeska Oil Spill Response Team used sorbent pads to recover the small amount of surfacing oil. Alyeska said the rate of release remained relatively constant at one drop of oil surfacing every 10 minutes and estimated spill volume remains at less than one cup.

Alyeska’s Ship Escort and Response Vessel System personnel and equipment were to remain on the scene, as were personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.