Crews hope to temporarily re-start pipeline

Crews will be able to temporarily re-open the Trans-Alaska pipeline Tuesday to prevent damage from cold weather.

The line was closed Saturday after a crude leak at Pump Station 1.

Officials hope to install a bypass pipe so the pipeline can be restarted.

Alyeska says the 24-inch bypass pipe is being fabricated and welded together in Fairbanks. In the meantime, they want to start the flow up temporarily to prevent further damage that could come from the cold.

One big fear about the line not being fully operational is the damage cold weather could create. Two cleaning devices in the line, called 'pigs,' could damage it.

They want to start the flow up temporarily to get the pigs out of the line.

Alyeska officials say a small amount of crude leaked into the basement of the pump station near the start of the main line. It was noticed Saturday.

As of 4:30 Tuesday afternoon, 2,000 gallons of oil had been recovered.

Crews at Pump Station 1 are also installing an 800-gallon containment vault for the oil recovered from the leak site.

“What we have to do is draw down the tanks and again move some oil in the pipe and at the same time we'll be putting the bypass pipeline, which is the longer-term solution. We'll be staging that so when that's staged and ready to go we can take a plan shut down install that bypass and then start ramping back up to our full capacity,” said Michelle Egan with Alyeska.

The line would shut down again while the bypass piping is installed at Pump Station 1.

There are currently about 450 people responding to the incident, including more than 200 people at the pump station.

Contact Rebecca Palsha at rpalsha@ktuu.com