Alyeska holds 2nd maintenance shutdown

Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.’s second major summer maintenance shutdown of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline is scheduled for Aug. 29-30. The company said the 36-hour shutdown will begin the morning of Aug. 29.

Planned work includes: testing all mainline valves between Pump Stations 1 and 3 to confirm sealing capability; returning below-ground piping to service at Pump Station 3 as a result of successful internal integrity inspection; installing two valves at Pump Station 5 for a future crude oil heating system; removing suction relief dead-leg piping at Pump Station 7; and annual inspection and preventative maintenance of power substation at Pump Station 9.

The company said other project and major maintenance work will be done in September, requiring several short-duration shutdowns ranging from eight to 12 hours.

“One of Alyeska’s primary objectives is to effectively maintain TAPS to ensure safety, system integrity and long-term viability,” John Baldridge, Alyeska’s senior director for pipeline operations, said in an Aug. 27 statement. “These annual major maintenance shutdowns are paramount in meeting that objective.”

The first major maintenance shutdown of the summer was a 24-hour shutdown June 20-21.

- Petroleum News