In the Field
Crews face tough weather in Cordova drill

Alyeska Pipeline constantly trains personnel in response and preparedness tactics. In the Valdez area, this includes open water training and response strategies for potential oil spills in Prince William Sound.  

But the Sound’s weather and environment doesn’t always offer ideal training conditions. During a recent Cordova Readiness Exercise, Prince William Sound put on a show, displaying the harsh and unpredictable environment typical to waters of South Central Alaska.  

Although unpleasant, these gnarly weather conditions can serve as a great test for Alyeska’s response crews: Actual spills are unplanned and don’t adhere to organized timetables or ideal weather conditions, response crews need to train in various conditions and be familiar and comfortable with challenges of deploying boom in harsh weather conditions.  

The Cordova exercise involved crew from Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) in Valdez and members of the Cordova fishing fleet. The exercise called for deploying a variety of boom – current busters, harbor busters, ocean busters, kepner boom, and ocean boom. The Cordova exercise also involved simulated in-situ burning, a technique that would burn-off quantities of oil gathered in various boom configurations.  

SERVS contains the largest assortment of spill response equipment in any one single location in the world. Its collection of world class response tugs includes over 100 oil-skimming systems, eight storage barges, and over 42 miles of containment boom used throughout the year in exercises to ensure effectiveness during an actual incident. In addition to the SERVS equipment, Alyeska contracts with over 300 fishing vessel owners who provide valuable local knowledge to assist with both spill planning and response in the event of a spill.  

Cutline for photo: In Nelson Bay during the Cordova Readiness Exercise, high winds and heavy snow mixed with breaks of heavy rain battered the participants from start to finish.