Massive repairs (Prudhoe Bay Oil Facility)

Anchorage Daily News ^ | August 8, 2006 | WESLEY LOY and RICHARD RICHTMYER

[Species8472]

BP announced Monday it will replace miles of key pipelines across the giant Prudhoe Bay oil field, and executives admitted the company's program to find and prevent corrosion-caused leaks is seriously flawed.

The announcements came a day after BP decided to shut down the nation's largest oil field, news that drove up crude oil and gasoline prices across the country and raised financial, supply and labor worries in Alaska.

BP executives said the oil outage could last weeks or even months.

One member of Congress, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., blasted BP for allowing sludge and corrosion to mount inside pipelines, causing a leak Sunday that prompted the shutdown.

"It is appalling that BP let this critical pipeline deteriorate to the point that a major production shutdown was necessary," said Dingell, ranking member of House Energy and Commerce Committee.

"BP must take all steps necessary to repair or replace problem pipelines quickly, so the American consumer does not pay for BP's laxity." He called for a congressional investigation.

BP executives, speaking to reporters in Anchorage on Monday morning, again apologized.

[Species8472]

This photo shows the pipelines -- the leaking transit line is the third from the left -- and the work area that has been set up on the road at the FS-2 area of Prudhoe Bay on Monday. Fast tanks are deployed under that line to catch dripping oil.

Area to be repaired

[greasepaint]

I'm getting tired of the stunts.

[RightWhale]

Looks like the primary feeder lines. 75 drivers to go to Prudhoe Bay are being advertised for. They would mainly be carrying pipe. Whether the pipe is available now is not yet known. The worldwide intensity of pipeline construction could mean that pipe is being manufactured and is readily available, although it could also be that the pipe manufacturers are booked and back-ordered.

[knarf]

"One member of Congress, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., blasted BP for allowing sludge and corrosion to mount inside pipelines, causing a leak Sunday that prompted the shutdown."

Johnny ... may I suggest, if you really mean the words you say .. that you look into your own party for simular .. and worse .. problems and deficiencies.

[TChris]

I work for a mine and chemical processing plant. Our managers seem to have a very short-sighted approach to maintenance, which I would guess afflicts many industrial organizations. Since the daily production amounts to huge amounts of money--hundreds of thousands of dollars per day is not uncommon--I think administrators often find it very difficult to stop or even impede that flow to perform routine maintenance.

Rather than view maintenance as preserving and securing their future production, they view it as a loathsome, necessary evil to be tolerated rarely, in small doses, if at all. Then, when the inevitable failures occur, they're honestly surprised!

It's maddening to witness, especially when my own bonuses are affected by the massive outages.

[absolootezer0]

so is this why gas prices just spiked a $1?

[downtownconservative]

Oil in Alaska? There's not enough of it to warrant drilling. Certainly, it will have no impact on the price or availability of fuel! (sarc)

[Species8472]

Stunt?. This facility was built 29 years ago and designed to last 20. At that time the Prudhoe bay field was estimated to only hold 9.6 Billion Barrels of oil. As of this date we have pumped more than 14 Billion Barrels.

What I am tired of is sending our oil money to people who want to turn me into a moslem and / or kill me.

[Non-Sequitur]

So how long before BP starts pushing for some tax breaks to help finance the repairs?

[RightWhale]

That perception is right on the mark. They will keep the process going with bubblegum and baling wire if at all possible. "They' applies to most anybody from NASA to the nextdoor neighbor with the old truck.

[defenderSD]

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said Tuesday that a complete shutdown of crude oil production from the BP PLC-operated (BP) Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska may not be necessary.

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires August 08, 2006 11:41 ET (15:41 GMT)

[Voltage]

It's really foolish for BP to apologize.

They should just state facts, the repairs are needed to prevent spills.

[defenderSD]

No chance; with all the profits they are making these days, any proposal for tax breaks is DOA in congress. Besides, they don't need no tax breaks.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Come on.

16 miles of pipeline?

And during WWII they DESIGNED, FABRICATED, SHIPPED, WELDED and BURIED and HOOKED UP 1300 miles of pipelines between Texas and OK all the way through IL, Penn, and NY in less 6 months?


For that pipe line (largest in the world at the time) they AVERAGED over 4 miles per day through virgin undergrowth and overland.

[July 4th]

Maybe BP should stop spending money on those dumb-ass commercials and actually spend it on infrastructure.

[#1CTYankee]

"Rather than view maintenance as preserving and securing their future production, they view it as a loathsome, necessary evil to be tolerated rarely, in small doses, if at all. Then, when the inevitable failures occur, they're honestly surprised!"

Sound just like the organization I work for, their philosophy? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If I was to use to phrase "Preventative Maintenance"
I can only imagine the look I'd get.

[BikerGold]

"Stunt?. This facility was built 29 years ago and designed to last 20. At that time the Prudhoe bay field was estimated to only hold 9.6 Billion Barrels of oil. As of this date we have pumped more than 14 Billion Barrels."

BTTT

[RightWhale]

What is the stunt?

[norraad]

BP is top heavy with number crunchin'ninnies tryin' to save money by forgoing maintenance & safe procedures.

[Brad C.]

I remember years ago when I was up in Prudhoe talking with a group of engineers. One of the things we talked about was a comparison study done between the Alaska pipeline and another large line in the Soviet Union. They started to compare numbers about efficiencies and were really happy that they were at 95 to 98% in Alaska compared to a 60% to 65% in the Soviet Union.

Then they discovered they were talking about two different things. Alaska was talking about up time, and the Soviets were talking about volume. Basically 40% of what they put into their pipe didn't make it to the other end. That is scary.