ANCHORAGE, AK -- October 3, 1996 -- Alyeska Pipeline Service Company reported today clean-up activities at the Check Valve 92 oil spill site have been closed down due to the onset of winter conditions and because oil recovery rates have decreased substantially. The site will continue to be monitored throughout the winter. The decision to close the site for the winter was made with the approval of the regulatory agencies. The oil spill at Check Valve 92 was discovered on April 20 during a routine safety inspection. At that time, Alyeska excavated the check valve and repaired the leak. Oil recovery equipment is stationed on-site and clean-up work is expected to continue next spring.

To date an estimated 33,620 gallons of crude oil have been recovered from the Check Valve 92 site. Alyeska investigated similar buried valves on the pipeline this summer to determine if any had developed a similar problem to Check Valve 92. No leaks were found during the investigation.