Spill estimate largest ever on Alaska's North Slope

ap on San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 3/10/06 | Rachel D'oro - ap

[NormsRevenge]

On the Net:

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.: alaska.bp.com/

Unified Command information site: www.dec.state.ak.us

[cripplecreek]

Wow, two whole acres. Another acre and a half and it would be the size of my yard.

[RightWhale]

It's a part of the feed lines that they haven't been inspecting. Carries crude, some of it sludgy. Really crude crude. The pipelines and plant are 30 years old, which is getting old, so this kind of thing will probably be happening more.

[LauraleeBraswell]

They also don't tell you that the ocean naturally secretes oil.

[reasonisfaith]

"this kind of thing will probably be happening more."

It won't be happening when we drill in ANWR, those lines will new, clean and leakproof.

[Williams]

"It was located deep inside insulation of the transit line in a low-lying section designed to let caribou pass."

So it appears the leak went undetected exactly because they placed this portion underground or under the snow for the caribou?

Only polluted 2 acres of an industrial area, not that big a deal, plus now we see this is the source of almost 20% of our donmestic oil. Imagine if we truly developed Alaska for oil?

[TaMoDee]

Really not "the oceans" but natural seeps from underlying
oil bearing formations in the ocean floor. There are many off the SoCal coast like at Santa Barbara, CA.

Since the tundra, by definition, is frozen the damage should be nil.

[RightWhale]

They will feed into existing pipelines. The main pipeline is inspected constantly and does need repair sometimes. The feed lines from ANWR will be new. At the same time there is the new Natural Gas Pipeline nearly ready to begin construction so they will have to work around each other.

[COEXERJ145]

This is clearly Cheney's fault for having ties to Haliburton and therefore Bush's fault for having ties to Cheney.

End of sarcasm

[bnelson44]

Here's the most graphic published photograph of the leak in question:

[RightWhale]

It was 50 below when they were trying to deal with this, windchill included. At least they have daylight.

[DancesWithBolsheviks]

Crude oil prices are listed in dollars per BARREL, but oil spill quantities are listed in more numerous and ominous GALLONS. Anyone know why that might be???

[DancesWithBolsheviks]

Here's the most graphic published photograph of the leak in question:
Ooohhhh the cariboooouuuity!

[TheBattman]

You know--this is kind of like when some crazy starts shooting up innocent folks - it kind of puts a crimper on gun rights work...

Well, this oil spill isn't helping the cause of drilling in ANWR....

[umgud]

This facility pumps 100,000 barrels per day. A barrel is 42 gallons. This spill is minor by comparison. The reason they report spills in gallons is for PC impact.

[FBD]

yup, I understand the Alaskan pipeline is wearing out, from corrosion. It probably needs to be replaced.

[RightWhale]

30 years is beyond the original lifetime design. Prudhoe was supposed to run about 20 years, but it just keeps producing--about half the rate.

[Eska]

They do quite a bit of preventative maintenance on the pipeline. X-ray the welds of interior pipe sections for corrosion that occur with age.

[FBD]

Is there any talk of building new pipelines?
btw, I recall watching a documentary on the AP, and I recall them predicting that the Alaskan pipeline would start to fail, because of corrosion, etc.
Is that because that oil has a high sulfur content or something?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

ANS crude is high sulfur and has some acids that must be delt with.