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Alyeska wraps summer pipeline shutdowns
Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. has completed the five shutdowns it scheduled for the trans-Alaska oil pipeline this summer.
A major project was the Pump Station 6 “straight pipe” project, Alyeska said on its website, involving removal of the manifold building and most mainline piping connections. This type of work had already been completed at Pump Stations 2, 8, 11 and 12, stations which the company said are not expected to be required for future operations.
Alyeska said elimination of the nonessential elements of the pump stations enhances integrity of the mainline and reduces maintenance requirements, as well as reducing risks associated with “dead legs” and potential corrosion issues. Pump Station 10 is next in line for a “straight pipe” project, the company said.
Work began at Pump Station 5 The summer’s first shutdown, May 18 at Pump Station 5, was for installation of a temporary bypass to isolate the station while piping was modified. The bypass was removed May 27 and normal flow was restored at Pump Station 5. Safety integrity pressure protection system, or SIPPS, work was also done at Pump Station 3 during that shutdown.
The June 2 shutdown was for mainline valve testing from Pump Station 5 to Pump Station 7 and SIPPS work at Pump Station 11.
The July 28 and Aug. 5 shutdowns were for the “straight pipe” project at Pump Station 6.
North Slope producers BP Exploration (Alaska) and ConocoPhillips Alaska schedule major maintenance work around Alyeska’s shutdowns of the pipeline.
ConocoPhillips’ summer schedule included major planned maintenance at the Kuparuk River field beginning in mid-June and at Alpine beginning in late July.
The majority of BP’s planned maintenance was scheduled to begin in July, with work planned at Prudhoe, Milne Point and Northstar.
—Kristen Nelson
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