Year In Review

1998 reliability for the Trans Alaska Pipeline System was 99.47 percent. This means the pipeline was operational and able to accept crude oil from the North Slope producers for 99.47 percent of the year. The annual throughput for 1998 was 440,496,000 barrels with a daily average of 1.2 million barrels per day.

Alyeska Pipeline and the U.S. Department of Interior signed a new Native Utilization Agreement on October 15, 1998. The Native Utilization Agreement determines the tracking and requirements of Alyeska’s Alaska Native Hire program to meet the commitment made in the Federal Grant and Lease of Right of Way. To date Alyeska is ahead of its commitments to hire and train Alaska natives.

The pipeline was shut down for almost 29 hours in September to repair and replace two mainline valves. The project was part of the TAPS Valve Program which is testing all of the mainline valves to insure the internal sealing components are functioning within set standards.

Little Harbor Consultants was brought in as an independent team to assess and assist Alyeska in achieving an open business environment. Little Harbor Consultants completed interviews of more than 450 employees and began making recommendations to Alyeska on change opportunities.

A segment of the pipeline was overpressured on August 5 due to human error during a restart of Pump Station 9. No damage to the pipeline was found. A “deformation” pig was run through the pipeline in early November to confirm that no damage had occurred to the pipe during the overpressure situation.

In October, Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) began using the Sentinel Escort system to escort laden tankers through Prince William Sound. The change to the Sentinel System was based on a two-year risk assessment on tanker traffic. The change increases safety by decreasing the amount of traffic moving through the Sound.

The two new enhanced tractor tugs being constructed for use in tanker escorts in Prince William Sound were named by students at Prince William Sound schools as part of Alyeska’s “Name the Tug” contest. The vessels will be christened The Nanuq (polar bear) and The Tan’erliq (black bear). The Nanuq will arrive in Valdez in early February, 1999.

The Tanker Vapor Control System at the Valdez Marine Terminal was brought into full operation March 19, 1998. The Tanker Vapor Control System collects hydrocarbon vapors released during loading of crude oil onto tankers. An independent safety audit by the Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council was completed in May, after concerns were raised from a third party of safety violations during construction of the system. Three different safety reviews of the Tanker Vapor Control System each determined the system was safe.

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