Tanker loading operations at the Valdez Marine Terminal were stopped at 2:55 a.m. on Saturday, January 3, due to high seas and waves over-top the containment boom placed around tankers. Tanker loading operations were resumed on January 4 at 11:30 a.m.

Tankers berthed at the Marine Terminal are routinely encircled with containment boom. Currently four tankers are at berth, with two more at anchor waiting to load. Further delays are possible due to the capacity at the Ballast Water Treatment facility. Inventory at the Valdez Marine Terminal reached approximately 82 percent. No reduction in pipeline throughput is expected due to the delays.

The Valdez Marine Terminal Fire Response Team responded to a fire in a Ballast Water Treatment Office building on Sunday evening, January 4. No injuries occurred. The fire was found in the furnace room and in the flooring beneath the building. The Fire Team isolated the fuel to the furnace and extinguished the fire with dry chemical and fire foam. No one was in the building at the time of the fire.

Preliminary investigation shows the fire originated from the oil fired furnace in the building. The exact cause of the fire is not known and is under investigation. Damage to the structure was minimal. It is expected that the building will be reoccupied next week following cleanup and repair.

Ballast Water Treatment Facility operations were not affected.

TAPS Throughput for 1997 - 487,094,963 barrels

Daily average - 1,334,507 barrels per day

There were ten pipeline shutdowns in 1997, totaling 52 hours, 29 minutes (approximately .599% of yearly operations.) The pipeline achieved an annual reliability factor of 99.4%.

Two of the shutdowns were scheduled maintenance shutdowns to complete ramp down work of Pump Stations 2 and 6 (totaling 37 hours, 18 minutes.)

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