Prevention and Response Tug ATTENTIVE to be Christened in Cordova

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company will christen the ATTENTIVE on Saturday, August 26, 2000 in Cordova, AK. The ATTENTIVE is the second of three Prevention and Response Tugs designed and built specifically for Alyeska Pipeline’s tanker escort operations in Prince William Sound by Crowley Marine Services. The 140-foot, 10,192 horsepower Z-drive vessel was placed into service with Alyeska’s Ship Escort and Response Vessel System (SERVS) in June.

Elaine Zeine, wife of Cordova Mayor Ed Zeine, will christen the ATTENTIVE at 12:00 P.M. at the Ferry (ocean) dock. Special guests in attendance for the christening include: Mayor Zeine, Commander Peyton Coleman, U.S.C.G., Dan Hisey, Chief Operating Officer, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company and Joe Kuchin, Alyeska SERVS manager.

During her sea trials, ATTENTIVE generated a certified bollard pull of over 300,000 pounds and a free running speed in excess of 16 knots. The ATTENTIVE is equipped for firefighting, emergency response and oil spill recovery equipment. The ATTENTIVE joins the ALERT and the AWARE as part of SERVS. Video and still photography will be available on Monday, August 28th. Contact: Sandy McClintock, (907) 834-7084 or (907) 255-5050.

Alyeska’s Berth 4 restart date has been extended to September 7, 2000 as work continues on of the Berth 4 Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) pipe and liner. The July discovery of a hole in the Berth 3 BWT pipe led to an expansion of the planned investigation for the Berth 4 BWT pipe. This expanded investigation activity included a more comprehensive inspection of the offshore and on shore pipe from the berth to the BWT header. With the exception of one 50 mill (.050 inches) pit, no notable corrosion to the Berth 4 BWT pipe wall was discovered.

The Berth 4 work is part of Alyeska’s ongoing mainte-nance program and the discovery in the Berth 3 BWT pipe was part of Alyeska’s corrosion inspection program. The expanded project timeline is not expected to impact North Slope production or tanker traffic.

The check valve that was damaged in July by an instrumentation pig (an informational device Alyeska uses to detect abnormalities inside the pipeline) will be replaced during a routine maintenance shutdown of the pipeline on September 16th. Alyeska will replace the entire check valve with a rebuilt valve.

The work to replace the valve is underway near North Pole, between Pump Station 7 and Pump Station 8. To prepare for the replacement, Alyeska is moving heavy equipment and supplies to the work site.

With the pipeline isolated and shutdown, a cut will be made on the north and south side of Check Valve 74. The old valve will then be lifted out, and the rebuilt valve will be welded in its place. The replacement is estimated to cost $5 million dollars and will require hundreds of man hours to complete.

When the instrumentation pig went past Check Valve 74, it caught a seat ring from the valve. The valve ring helps seal the valve should oil change direction in the pipe. Proper valve operation is an important part of Alyeska’s ability to reduce oil spill potential.

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