Cook Inlet’s notorious drifting ice factored into a “near miss” involving an oil tanker over the winter.
The incident, which just recently came to light, occurred on Jan. 13, a Friday, at the Kenai Pipe Line Co. terminal at Tesoro’s Nikiski refinery.
A Tesoro investigation report describes what happened:
The tanker Overseas Martinez was docked at the KPL terminal conducting cargo loading operations. A Crowley tug, the Vigilant, was there to assist.
It was still dark, and ice ranging from “slush to solid pan ice” was seen around the ship. The tide was coming in.
At 6:24 a.m. the pilot aboard the Overseas Martinez asked the Vigilant to move into position to take some strain off the tanker’s mooring lines.
As the tug responded, it lost power to its starboard engine due to it overheating. It soon lost power to its port engine as well, and the tug began to drift with the current.
This put a “shock load” on the tug’s assist line, which was attached up toward the tanker’s bow. The force damaged some 40 feet of the tanker’s railing, and ripped a fitting known as a chock from the deck.
No injuries
No one was hurt, the Tesoro report said, and the tug’s ship assist line stayed attached to the tanker.
The tanker captain sounded the general alarm and called for all hands on deck.
By 6:45 a.m. the tug was able to regain power partial engine power, and later was able to help the tanker get away from the dock and travel to a safe anchorage in Kachemak Bay.
Crowley determined that ice had blocked the Vigilant’s cooling water intakes.
The incident builds on Cook Inlet’s dangerous reputation for shippers.
In February 2006, at the same dock, the tanker Seabulk Pride broke away from its mooring amid surging ice floes and wound up beached about a half-mile north.
Responders feared the ship might break apart on the beach, but with the help of rescue tugs the Seabulk Pride was refloated the next day with its cargo tanks intact.
Notice of violation
In response to the Overseas Martinez incident, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation hit Tesoro with a notice of violation dated Jan. 27.
The agency alleged Tesoro had violated its oil discharge prevention and contingency plan by continuing to transfer oil products during the hazardous current and ice conditions seen on the date of the incident.
“Failure to cease loading operations contributed to a near miss incident involving the Tesoro-chartered tank vessel Overseas Martinez,” the notice said.
DEC ordered Tesoro to perform a “thorough investigation of the events,” and submit a “corrective action plan.”
The notice discussed potential civil and criminal penalties, but DEC didn’t impose any.
In a Feb. 27 letter to Tesoro, DEC marine vessels section manager John Kotula said the information the company presented “adequately addressed” the notice of violation.
—Wesley Loy
