PHMSA 05-06
Contact: James Wiggins, Tel.: (202) 366-4831
Thursday, July 20, 2006
BP Exploration Directed to Complete Testing on North Slope Pipelines
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today
directed BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. to take additional measures to ensure
safety on its Prudhoe Bay pipelines as a result of a pipeline failure in March
2006.
The agency’s latest directive requires BP to submit a comprehensive engineering
plan to safely and quickly drain 17,000 barrels of oil contained within the
idled Western Operations Area pipeline, and requires completion of engineering
plans to assure sediment within the pipelines is stored safely in tanks to avoid
contamination and maintain the safety of the Trans Alaska Pipeline system.
Additionally, BP must take samples from the pipeline walls, and photographs of
pipeline solids of the Eastern Operations pipeline to determine whether the
pipeline is ready for an internal “smart pig”.
Immediately after the failure of BP’s Prudhoe Bay Western Operations Area
34-inch low-pressure pipeline, PHMSA issued an order directing “smart pigging”.
PHMSA Administrator Tom Barrett and acting Chief Safety Officer Stacey Gerard
visited Alaska earlier this month to review North Slope pipeline operations,
meet with federal and state officials, and ensure completion of the corrective
actions required by PHMSA’s original order.
“These additional corrective actions are needed to assure the safety of the
pipeline operations,” said PHMSA Administrator Barrett. “BP’s operations must
reflect suitable and stringent operational controls.”
PHMSA is coordinating
its actions with the federal-state Joint Pipeline Office and with numerous
federal and state agencies that oversee the safety on the North Slope of Alaska.
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