President's Message
David Wight, President and CEO

Gratitude for Alaska’s firefighters

A word of thanks is in order for the hundreds of fire crewmembers and volunteers who are diligently working this summer battling Alaska’s fires. We at Alyeska Pipeline Service Company are especially grateful for their efforts over Fourth of July weekend. The Boundary and Fort Hamlin Hills fires were burning near the trans-Alaska pipeline and could have impacted pipeline operations.

Fortunately, weather patterns changed so that firefighters from the Alaska Fire Service and other agencies, pipeline regulators and Trans Alaska Pipeline System employees were able to ensure pipeline integrity without slowing the flow of oil.

Alaskans are accustomed to dealing with fire dangers, but this fire season is one of the worst in Alaska history. It is especially disrupting the lives of people living in or visiting interior and central Alaska. They are contending with everything from the danger of flames to the inconveniences of road closures, evacuations, smoke and poor air quality. Our unusually warm, dry and windy weather is creating extreme fire dangers and challenges for Alaska’s interagency wildland fire management personnel.

These fire dangers don’t pose serious long-term risks to the pipeline because it was designed and is maintained to withstand fires. The biggest pipeline risks are cosmetic damage and short-term disruptions of oil flow. However, the fires raise significant risks to firefighters and residents whose homes and businesses are situated near fires.

Please join me in thanking Alaska’s outstanding fire teams for their efforts this year and in wishing them good luck and safety.