Maintenance Work Halted on Tanker Vapor Control System

Alyeska Pipeline has temporarily stopped maintenance work on the Tanker Vapor Control System at the Valdez Marine Terminal. The Tanker Vapor Control System remains operational, and critical maintenance is being performed with permission from the senior Terminal management. The work stoppage was called because certain maintenance procedures were not being followed. Normal maintenance work is expected to resume on Wednesday, May 19, after temporary operating procedures have been written and approved, and crews have been trained on the new procedures. “We are using the quality tools that are available to us to improve and control the system,” said Hisey. “A stop work order allows us to ensure crews are trained to the new procedures we’ve put in place. Once we’ve reviewed the procedures we’ll go back to work with a better understanding of the expectations of running and maintaining this facility.” Three criteria must be met before maintenance work resumes. Temporary operating procedures will be created and a review of those procedures will occur with the crews working on the system. Finally, a review of Alyeska engineering and regulatory requirements regarding changes to the Vapor Control System will occur.

Pipeline Conducts Drag Reduction Tests

Alyeska Pipeline is finishing nine days of tests on a new Drag Reducing Agent (DRA) in the pipeline system. DRA is injected at strategic locations along the pipeline to reduce the turbulence in the oil, making the oil easier to pump. The tests were conducted at Pump Station 9, near Delta. During the test, Pump Station 12 was taken off-line for 18 hours at throughput levels that typically would have required the station be on-line. DRA was injected into the pipeline at Pump Station 9. The pumps at Pump Station 9 moved the oil over the Chugach Mountain Range to the Valdez Marine Terminal. Alyeska will continue DRA testing for approximately eight months using different DRA products from several suppliers. DRA continues to be a developing technology and so Alyeska tests new and improved products frequently. Alyeska Pipeline’s engineering group will be analyzing the data from this and the future tests to determine possible benefits to pipeline operations.

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