ANCHORAGE, AK -- October 17, 1996 -- Alyeska Pipeline Service Company reported today that Pump Stations 1 through 4 of the trans-Alaska pipeline were idled for approximately one hour yesterday when a maintenance crew working on a Remote Gate Valve (RGV) near Pump Station 5 inadvertently triggered a false signal indicating the valve was closing. In response to the signal, operators at the Operations Control Center (OCC) in Valdez followed established procedures and idled the northern end of the pipeline. The RGV did not actually close. After the false signal was confirmed, operators followed established procedures and restarted the pump stations.

When the pump stations were idled, North Slope producers reduced the volume of oil delivered to Pump Station 1 by fifty-percent. The crude oil delivered to Pump Station 1 while the pump stations were idled was diverted to the Pump Station 1 crude oil tanks.

The Joint Pipeline Office has been notified of the incident.