Links
Oil leak is latest mishap for Alaska's troubled pipelines
Almost all oil production on Alaska's North Slope remains shut down after workers on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline system discovered a leak over the weekend. BP, the pipeline company's largest single owner, has called it a "significant event."
BP is no stranger to pipeline problems in Alaska. It was recently reported that a BP maintenance study in October found severe corrosion throughout its own system of pipelines, and workers had complained of "Band-Aid" solutions to long-running maintenance issues.
At the time, BP spokesman Steve Rinehart said that the company has "an aggressive and comprehensive pipeline inspection and maintenance program," and the 148 pipelines ranked "F" for corrosion were not necessarily a current safety risk. "We will not operate equipment or facilities that we believe are unsafe," he said.
BP's listing of corroded pipes and its documentation of pipeline failures wouldn't have included the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which is operated by Alyeska Pipeline Service"technically a separate company. But Alyeska is largely controlled by BP, which owns 47 percent of the company.