Six pipeline anchors near milepost 170 south of Atigun Pass moved causing some pipeline support shoes to move from their normal position on the horizontal cross beam which is a part of the above-ground support system. The displaced anchors were discovered yesterday at approximately 5:30 p.m., when Alyeska maintenance crews were conducting a routine visual inspection of the pipeline. Crews from Fairbanks and Pump Stations 4 and 5 are repairing the pipeline supports. Temporary cribbing will be constructed to protect the pipe until the anchors are reset and the shoes are returned to their correct position. The Joint Pipeline Office has been notified and is being kept up to date on repair progress. The cause of the anchor movement is under investigation. No damage to the pipe is apparent. Alyeska Pipeline conducts ground and aerial surveillance on the pipeline regularly. No abnormalities were discovered during the prior ground surveillance on February 26, 2000. There are 78,000 Vertical Support Members that support the above-ground pipeline sections on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. The pipe rests on a shoe that slides horizontally and laterally on a support beam to accommodate pipeline movement from pipe expansion and contraction, and in some cases, seismic activity. The pipeline anchors are placed approximately every quarter mile on above ground pipe sections and are intended to limit pipeline movement to specific segments.

Alyeska Supports Annual Theatre Conference in Valdez

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company presented $12,000 to the Prince William Sound Community College on May 2, for the 8th Annual Theatre Conference. The two-week conference will be held in Valdez from June 9 -18 to stimulate the appreciation and preservation of the theatre arts. The conference provides learning opportunities for thespians in the state to perfect their craft and a forum for new playwrights to present their work. This year’s conference will honor two-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Mr. Horton Foote.

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