Chronology of Major Pipeline Events

1968 

• Mar 13, Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and Humble Oil and Refining Company (now Exxon Company, U.S.A.) announce Prudhoe Bay discovery well.
• Jun 25, Confirmation well announced by ARCO and Humble.
• Jul 29, Pipeline field study team arrives in Alaska, under authority of a transportation subcommittee of an ARCO-Humble North Slope Coordinating Committee.
• Oct 28, Atlantic Pipeline Company (a subsidiary of Atlantic Richfield), Humble Pipe Line Company (a subsidiary of Humble Oil and Refining Company) and BP Exploration U.S.A., Inc. (a subsidiary of British Petroleum Company, Ltd.) enter into an "agreement for a planning study and for engineering design and construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Project." Construction was to proceed if the Owner Companies approved the plans developed under this agreement.
  

1969 

• Feb 7, Atlantic Pipe Line, Humble Pipe Line and BP Oil Corporation (formerly BP Exploration U.S.A., Inc.) approve an amendment to their original agreement, electing to proceed with design and construction, and changing the name of the project to "Trans-Alaska Pipeline System." The acronym "TAPS" was applied in usage.
• Feb 10, Atlantic Pipe Line, Humble Pipe Line and BP Pipe Line Corporation (a subsidiary of BP Oil Corporation) announce plans to build an 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline.
• Jun 6, TAPS files for federal right-of-way permits.
• Sep 13, First 48-inch pipe arrives in Valdez from Japan.
• Oct 22, Humble Pipe Line, Atlantic Pipe Line and BP Pipe Line are joined by Amerada Hess Corporation, Home Pipe Line Company, Mobil Pipe Line Company, Phillips Petroleum Company and Union Oil Company of California in joint venture.
  

1970 

• April, Suits filed by environmental groups and others to block pipeline construction.
• Aug 14, Incorporation of Alyeska Pipeline Service Company by the Owner Companies. Note: changes from original incorporators are as follows: Home Pipe Line transferred its interest to all other Owners except Amerada Hess. Atlantic Pipe Line has become ARCO Pipe Line Company by name change. Humble Pipe Line has become Exxon Pipeline Company by name change. BP Pipe Line Corporation was merged into Sohio Pipe Line Company (also see Feb. 12, 1971); Sohio Pipe Line later (see Aug. 9,1974) transferred part of its interest to Sohio Alaska. Amerada Hess Corporation has transferred its interest to Amerada Hess Pipeline Corporation. Mobil Pipe Line Company has transferred its interest to Mobil Alaska Pipeline Company. Phillips Petroleum Company has transferred its interest to Phillips Alaska Pipeline Corporation. Union Oil Company of California has transferred its interest to Union Alaska Pipeline Company.

1971 

• Feb 12, BP Pipe Line Corporation is merged into Sohio Pipe Line Company (a subsidiary of Standard Oil Company [Ohio] ).

1973 

• Nov 16, Trans Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act becomes law.
  

1974 

• Jan 3, Federal right-of-way grant issued.
• Apr 29, Prudhoe Bay to Yukon River road construction begins.
• May 3, State right-of-way lease issued.
• Aug 9, Sohio Pipe Line transfers part of its interest to BP Pipelines Inc.
• Sep 29, Prudhoe Bay to Yukon River road completed.
  

1975

• Mar 27, First pipe laid at Tonsina River.
• Oct 11, Yukon River Bridge completed.
• Oct 26, Pipeline project 50% complete.
  

1977

• May 31, Final pipeline weld near Pump Station 3.
• Jun 20, First oil flows from Pump Station 1. (10:06 a.m.(AST) - pig in trap). (10:27 a.m.(AST) - pig depart signal).
• Jun 24, Oil front at PS 3 (12:56 p.m.).
• Jun 25, Oil front at PS 4 (7:50 a.m.).
• Jun 28, Oil front at PS 5 ( 6:23 a.m.).
• Jul 1, Oil front at PS 6 (6:30 p.m.).
• Jul 4, Nitrogen leak detected ahead of oil front, MP 489.12 (near PS 8 north block valve). Oil flow stopped.
• Jul 7, Pipe repair, MP 489.12. Pipe and elbow cracked from injection of super-cooled nitrogen. Pipe replaced.
• Jul 7, Oil front at PS 8 (9:24 p.m.).
• Jul 8, PS 8 pump building destroyed by explosion and fire; 1 fatality, oil loss - 300 bbl.
• Jul 19, Oil leak (heavy equipment accident) check valve 7, 1,800 bbl.
• Jul 20, Oil front at PS 9 (10:37 a.m.).
• Jul 22, Oil front at PS 10 (4:46 a.m.).
• Jul 26, Oil front at PS 12 (3:48 a.m.).
• Jul 28, Oil reaches Marine Terminal (11:02 p.m.).
• Aug 1, ARCO Juneau departs Valdez with first oil.
  

1978

• Feb 15, Oil spill (sabotage), Steele Creek, MP 457.53, 16,000 bbl.
• Feb 16, Pipe repair MP 457.53.
• Mar 7, PS 8 recommissioned (11:05 a.m.).
  

1979 

• Jun 10, Oil leak MP 166.43, Atigun Pass, 1,500 bbl., pipe settlement.
• Jun 13, ARCO Heritage, 1,000th tanker to load.
• Jun 15, Oil leak, MP 734.16, 4,000 bbl., pipe settlement.
• June, Pipe repair, MP 734.16.
• Jul 1, DRA first injected into pipeline at PS 1.
• Aug 18, Curvature pig (Super Pig) stuck in line at check valve 29.
• Sep 25, Check valve 29 opened, curvature pig removed; stopple and by-pass installed.
• Oct 2, PS 2 commissioned (1:16 a.m.).
• October, Yukon River Bridge opened.
  

1980 

• Jan 22, 1 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• Feb 11, Oil leak, Terminal, 3,200 bbl. leaking valve, east tank farm.
• May 12, Oil leak, relief tank valve, 238 bbl.
• Sep 20, Monument to pipeline construction workers dedicated at Marine Terminal.
• Dec 1, PS 7 commissioned.
• Dec 29, Thompson Pass, 2,000th tanker to load.
  

1981

• Jan 1, Oil leak, check valve 23, 1,500 bbl., drain connection failure.
• Nov 10, 2 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• Dec 15, First Kuparuk field oil delivered to PS 1.
  

1982

• Jun 19, Philadelphia, 3,000th tanker to load.
• Jun 7, RGV-121A uncommanded closure.
  

1983 

• Jul 21, 3 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• Nov 8, Tonsina, 4,000th tanker to load.
  

1984 

• Mar 20, Removal of stuck scraper pig at check valve 4 and relocation of pig trap from PS 5 to PS 4.
• November, Removal of stuck pig at PS 10.
  

1985 

• Jan 11, Overseas Boston, 5,000th tanker to load.
• Mar 11, 4 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• Apr 22, MP 200 final tie-in of 48-inch permanent reroute (404.7 ft. added to total pipeline length); reroute due to pipe settlement.
• Nov 2, Milne Point field start-up.
• Nov 9, Two primary generators damaged by fire in generator room at PS 1.
  

1986 

• Mar 5, ARCO Sag River, 6,000th tanker to load.
• Apr 18, Union Oil Pipeline Company becomes Unocal Pipeline Company.
• Sep 15, 5 billionth barrel arrives in Valdez.
• Nov 18, "Tee" damaged by scraper pig at PS 10; "Tee" replaced.
• Dec 15, Lisburne field start-up.
• Dec 24, Sohio Pipeline Company becomes Sohio Alaska Pipeline Company.
  

1987 

• Apr 1, First IPEL Corrosion Pig run.
• Apr 19, Atigun Pass, 7,000th tanker to load.
• Jun 19, 10th anniversary of the Prudhoe Bay field and trans-Alaska pipeline.
• Sep 29, Buckled pipe replaced, Atigun Pass MP 166.4.
• Oct 3, Endicott field start-up.
  

1988 

• Jan 1, BP Pipelines, Inc. merged into Sohio Alaska Pipeline Company.
• Jan 14, Highest daily throughput - 2,145,297 bbl.
• Feb 16, 6 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• May 2, Chevron Mississippi, 8,000th tanker to load.
• September, PS 2 pump manifold pipe replacement project complete.
• October, Atigun Pass Releveling Project, MP 167, pipe settled due to erosion of ground below.
  

1989 

• Jan 3, Oil spill, Thompson Pass, 1,700 bbl., crack in hull.
• Mar 1, Sohio Alaska Pipeline Company becomes BP Pipelines (Alaska) Inc.
• Mar 24, Oil spill, Exxon Valdez, 260,000 bbl., vessel ran aground at Bligh Reef. Alyeska provided initial oil spill response.
• May 27, Texaco Florida, 9,000th tanker to load.
• Jun 1, First NKK corrosion pig run.
• Jun 30, 7 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• Jul 10, Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) established for oil spill prevention and response in Prince William Sound.
• August, Feasibility study for Atigun Floodplain Pipe Replacement Project was done (to replace 8.5 miles of mainline pipe between MP 157 and 165.5).
  

1990 

• Feb 8, Alyeska/Regional Citizens Advisory Council (RCAC) contract signed.
• June, Construction complete on Incinerator Repair Project, Valdez Marine Terminal.
• Jun 12, Deadleg repair/replacement, PS 1.
• Jul 31, Exxon New Orleans, 10,000 tanker to load.
• September, PS 3 corrosion repair, station temporarily bypassed.
• September, Construction begins on 8.5 mile Atigun Floodplain Pipe Replacement Project.
• Sep 15, Project to inspect, recoat, and reinsulate 1,600 ft. of insulated buried mainline pipe between MP 167.5 and 167.3 completed.
• December, First shipment of pipe for Atigun Floodplain Pipe Replacement Project arrives in Valdez.
  

1991 

• Jan 1, 8 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• Feb 28, ARCO Pipe Line Company becomes ARCO Transportation Alaska, Inc.
• March, Concrete Biological Treatment Tanks (BTT) placed in service.
• Oct 2, - Overseas Boston, 11,000 tanker to load.
• September, Atigun Floodplain Pipe Replacement Project completed (MP157-165.5).
  

1992 

• January, 11 storage tanks were internally inspected. Floor of crude oil storage tank #5 (VMT) replaced and cathodic protection installed.
• Apr - May, Corrosion repairs to 2.5 mile section of pipe in the Chandalar Shelf.
• Jun 20, 15 years of TAPS operation.
• Jul 7, 9 billionth barrel transported through line.
• Jul 30, First full-scale aerial dispersant test in PWS.
• Aug 7 RGV-73 uncommanded closure, over-pressuring the pipeline.
• Aug 25, Ombudsman appointed.
• September, PS1 Tank 111 returned to service after bottom replacement project completed.
• October, Recoating of superstructure for Berths 3 and 4 at Valdez Marine Terminal completed.
• December, 40,000 sq. ft. Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) building at Valdez Marine Terminal.
• Dec 10, Fuel gas line (north of the Brooks Range) releveling project complete.
• Dec 28, ARCO California, 12,000 tanker to load.
  

1993 

• January 1, 3,000 SERVS escorts.
• Jan 20, Petro Star Refinery on-line.
• March, Construction of new tug dock at Valdez Marine Terminal completed.
• June, PS10, desalter for pre-treating Topping Unit Crude Feed put in service.
• June, PS9, Mainline Pump #3 converted to half-head operation.
• September, Recoating of Berth 5 superstructure at Valdez Marine Terminal completed.
• October, Inspection, repair and recoating of 10 storage tanks at Valdez Marine Terminal completed. This completes the initial inspection of all the major storage tanks at VMT.
• Dec 10, Install fuel gas line pig launcher, MP 34.
  

1994 

• March, Tank 209 at Pump Station 10 leaks 3,500 gallons of resid oil in tank farm.
• Mar 5, 10 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• May 13, ARCO Texas, 13,000th tanker to load.
• Jul 5, Alyeska selects method of tanker vapor control at Valdez Marine Terminal.
• Sep 26, TAPS Owners Assessment complete.
  

1995 

• Mar 9, Valdez Emergency Operation Center/Escort Response Base opened.
• Mar 30, Alyeska employees worked 1 million consecutive hours without a lost time accident.
• April, Alyeska completes major electrical improvement project (ANSC), line-wide.
• May 24, Pump Station 8 topping unit shut down.
• Oct 20, Alyeska and U.S. Department of Interior sign new Native Utilization Agreement.
• Oct 26, Pump Station 7 idled for maintenance, three months.
• December, Alyeska completes construction on new Otter Rehabilitation Facility.
• Dec 12, 11 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• Dec 31, ARCO Juneau 14,000th tanker to load.
  

1996 

• Apr 20, Oil leak at CV92 discovered.
• Apr 25, CV92 leak repair begins.
• June, Fiber Optics Cable construction contract signed.
• Jun 30, Pump Station 8 placed in standby status.
• Jul 1, Pump Station 10 placed in standby status.
• August, Pressure pulsations felt in Thompson Pass, created by slackline condition.
• Sep 17, Alyeska investigates pipe vibrations near pipeline MP776.
• Nov 27, Alyeska responds to evidence of hydrocarbons detected by soil probes near MP776; no spill found.
  

1997 

• January, Temporary back pressure installed at VMT to stop pressure pulsations in Thompson Pass. Permanent repair scheduled for summer 1997.
• Jun 20, 20th Anniversary of Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
• Jul 1, Pump Station 2 placed in standby status.
• Aug 8, Pump Station 6 placed in standby status.
• Oct 2, Permanent Back Pressure Control System operational.
• Dec 1, 12 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
  

1998 

• Mar 19, Tanker Vapor Control System brought into full operation.
• Sep 25-26, Pipeline shutdown, 28 hrs, 40 min., to repair CKV 122 and replace RGV 80.
• Oct 15, Alyeska and U.S. Department of Interior renew Native Utilization Agreement.
  

1999

• Jan 27, Nanuq, enhanced tractor tug arrived in Valdez to join SERVS fleet.
• May 22, Tan'erliq, enhanced tractor tug arrived in Valdez to join SERVS fleet.
• June 26, Arco Spirit, 16,000th tanker to load.
• July 10, 10th Anniversary of SERVS.
• Sep 11, Pipeline shutdown, 25 hrs, 49 minutes to replace RGV 60.

2000

• Feb, Alert, Prevention Response Tug arrived in Valdez to join SERVS Fleet.
• April, pipeline movement at MP 170
• April 27, 13 billionth barrel arrives Valdez.
• May, Attentive, Prevention Response Tug arrived in Valdez to join SERVS fleet.
• June, Scraper pig removed seat ring from CKV 74.
• July, Aware, Prevention Response Tug arrived in Valdez to join SERVS fleet.
• Summer, extensive renewal of Berth 4 at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
• Sept. 16, Pipeline shutdown to replace CKV 74 and M-2 Valve at PS 9.
• Oct 7, Shutdown to test remaining valves needed to complete the 5-year valve test program of all mainline valves.

2001

• Jul 11, Polar Endeavor, first Millennium class double-hull tanker arrives Valdez Marine Terminal.
• Jul 19, S/R Benecia, 8,000th tanker to load. Summer, Extensive renewal of Berth 5 at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
• Aug 21, Alyeska SERVS received "Distinguished Achievement" award in recognition of outstanding third-party oil spill response to the F/V Windy Bay grounding in Prince William Sound.
• Sep 22, Marine Columbia, 17,000th tanker to load.
• Sep 22, Pipeline shutdown for mainline valve maintenance and integrity test and performance evaluation of two 48-inch mainline remote gate valves.
• Oct 4, Bullet hole at MP 400 leaks 258,000 gallons of oil. Over 178,000 gallons recovered and reinjected into the pipeline.
• Oct 25, Alyeska and U.S. Department of Interior renew Alaska Native Utilization Agreement. Nov, Valdez Marine Terminal Ballast Water Tank 94 raised 2 feet, 250-foot diameter.
• Nov 2, First oil from Northstar field received at PS 1.
• Nov 9, Chevron Mississippi, final tanker load after 30 years of service and 1002 sailings, all ports. (432 from VMT)

2002

• June, Commemoration of Current Buster(tm) technology used in nearshore oil spill response.
• Jun 20, 25th Anniversary of pipeline operations.
• Jul 25, Pipeline shutdown to replace RGV 39.
• Aug 1, Valdez Terminal Office Building dedication.
• Oct 10, Laden T/V Kenai assisted by escort vessels when mechanical problems developed at Hinchinbrook Entrance.
• Oct 30, Valdez Marine Terminal main fire water distribution line re-lined.
• November, Valdez Marine Terminal Ballast Water Tank 93 raised 2 feet, 250-foot diameter.
• Nov 3, 7.9 earthquake at MP 588, damaged shoes and VSM crossbeams repaired or replaced.
• Nov 26, State of Alaska renews pipeline right-of-way for 30 years.

Last updated June 25, 2003

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