Liner failure shuts down Berth Three at Valdez Marine Terminal

Alyeska says no major impact on tanker loading expected, although shutdown will overlap scheduled maintenance at Berth Four

Petroleum News Alaska

Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. said July 27 that during a routine inspection of the Valdez Marine Terminal Berth Three ballast water piping, the liner inside the pipe was found to have pulled away from the pipe wall in some places; in some places the liner had cracked.

The company said the failure allowed ballast water to get between the liner and the pipe wall, increasing the possibility of corrosion in the pipe, although no ballast water had leaked from the pipe. The inspection was part of the company’s ongoing corrosion monitoring program.

The 42-inch pipe carries ballast water, a mixture of salt water and crude oil, from tankers at the berth to the ballast water treatment facility. Most of the pipe is buried. Alyeska said it is conducting a visual inspection to determine the extent of the problem and will decide what alternatives are possible based upon this inspection. So far several areas of pipe have been found to have active corrosion.

Alyeska said that due to the discovery of the liner problem Berth Three will remain temporarily out of service as alternatives are considered. This shutdown will continue into the same time period that Berth Four is scheduled to be shut down for routine maintenance beginning Aug. 2. The Berth Four shutdown is scheduled to last 23 days, during which several maintenance projects will be completed, including the replacement of the crude oil loading arms and an inspection of the associated ballast water piping.

Alyeska said it does not expect tanker loading to be notably affected when the two berths are shut down simultaneously because Berth One and Berth Five will remain operational during the shutdown and the company will commit needed resources to minimize any disruption in tanker schedules.

The company said it has briefed the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the Joint Pipeline Office, the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council and the U.S. Coast Guard.