TAPS down 9 hours on pump station fire

An April 20 fire at tank 150 at Pump Station 5 on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline brought oil flow to a halt for 9 hours.

Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. said in a statement that an employee observed flames from a pressure/vacuum vent on tank 150 at about 2:30 p.m.

Alyeska’s Anchorage operations control center was notified and the tank and station were isolated. A pipeline shutdown was initiated at 2:38 p.m.

There were no injuries and pump station personnel evacuated to personnel living quarters on site. Non-essential personnel were moved offsite to Coldfoot.

Alyeska said that at 7 p.m. there was intermittent evidence of smoke and flames.

By 11:30 p.m. the vent fire had been contained and the line was restarted. Flow was expected to be at a reduced rate, 400,000 to 420,000 barrels per day, until early April 21 when personnel would be positioned to monitor remote gate valves as the line returned to normal flow, averaging more than 500,000 bpd, Alyeska said.

The Department of Revenue’s Tax Division reported flow for April 19 at 542,220 barrels, the latest data posted when this issue of Petroleum News went to print.

Alyeska said there was no environmental damage, and that tank 150 is isolated from the pump station and the pipeline.

Pump Station 5, near Coldfoot, is a relief station, Alyeska says on its website, providing a mechanism to relieve pressure that builds up in the line as the oil descends from Atigun Pass.

- Petroleum News