Phillips has produced water spill at Kuparuk drill site 2A

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

Phillips Alaska Inc. had a produced water spill at Kuparuk drill site 2A April 7.

Phillips said a six-inch production line spilled 1,200 gallons of produced water in a 1,000 square foot area of the gravel pad.

The company said the drill site operator was able to isolate the leak, which occurred at 10:30 a.m., within three minutes, and immediately stopped all liquid flow. The spill was entirely contained on the gravel pad.

Phillips Alaska spokeswoman Dawn Patience told PNA the response team was on the site in less than 30 minutes; DEC approved the company’s response and decided not to send staff to the site, she said.

Patience said the spill was caused by a pin hole in the weld on the six-inch production line.

The produced water was 92 percent water and 8 percent crude: 96 gallons of crude.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said April 8 that a “super sucker” removed snow, ice and gravel beneath the module. Approximately 14 cubic yards of contaminated snow were removed from the site and hand shovels and jackhammers were to be used to remove remaining impacted snow and gravel.

The agency said contaminated material would be transported to a waste disposal pit at drill site 1H. Once the contaminated snow melts it will be recycled in enhanced oil recovery. Contaminated gravel will be disposed of at the grind and inject facility.

DEC said valves were closed both in the manifold building and at the well and the flow line was depressurized and blinded.

In a final incident report April 9, DEC said that preliminary investigation of the incident suggests the failure mechanism of the six-inch production line at the Cosasco fitting was the result of flow-accelerated corrosion. The piping and fitting section of pipe were removed and radiographed and inspected for cause. DEC said cleanup crews, equipment, and a super sucker were dispatched to the site April 9 for continued cleanup.