Equipment mislabeling glitch for Alyeska Pipeline Service

Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. was ordered by the Bureau of Land Management to remove from service immediately a transformer at Pump Station 9 “and all other electrical items which do not show proper evidence of testing and approval to U.S. standards.”

The Joint Pipeline Office said Nov. 8 that Alyeska has also been ordered to inspect all electrical equipment installed, or to be installed, as part of the company’s strategic reconfiguration and other projects “for evidence of proper approval to U.S. standards.”

Alyeska has also been ordered to conduct an investigation to determine how “improperly approved equipment” was purchased, approved and installed at Pump Station 9.

A report is due to JPO by Dec. 1.

The agency said “BLM is concerned that this unapproved equipment was installed and placed in service despite numerous quality and inspection programs in use” by Alyeska and its contractors.

JPO said Alyeska “has informed the JPO that they are aware of the issue and are actively working to inspect and remove any improperly labeled equipment.” Alyeska “also informed the JPO that the proper transformer was apparently ordered but the unit was not labeled correctly by the manufacturer.”

Alyeska Pipeline spokesman Mike Heatwole told Petroleum News Nov. 15 that Alyeska is “very much aware” of the issue. It is, he said, “a question of UL labeling.” Heatwole said the transformers “were tested and approved for U.S. service.” He said Alyeska hopes to have them re-labeled by Nov. 17 and said that so far the start-up schedule for Pump Station 9 has not been affected. He said Alyeska is doing an investigation to determine “why we had incorrectly labeled equipment put in service.”

JPO spokeswoman Rhea DoBosh said the responsibility is with Alyeska “to have the items displaying the proper approvals per state and federal laws.” She also said the UL labeling and Alaska code compliance is an area JPO has “repeatedly” reminded Alyeska about and there should not have been any questions.

She said JPO wants to know how it happened and how Alyeska “will prevent similar misunderstandings from happening again.”

—Kristen Nelson