ANCHORAGE, AK –
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company crews are preparing for this
summer’s first major maintenance shutdown on the Trans Alaska
Pipeline System, set to run from Saturday, June 20 to Sunday,
June 21. The event is designed to last up to 36 hours and begins
Saturday morning.
Alyeska, the pipeline operator, will
complete various projects during the scheduled shutdown, including two
major projects at Pump Station 3. One project will replace a 62,000
pound valve that is used to redirect the flow of crude oil inside the
pump station. Another project focuses on removing a section of piping at
the station that will disconnect the mainline 48-inch pipeline from old
legacy equipment used to operate the original pumping equipment. Pump
Station 3 began operating newer, upgraded pumps in December 2007.
Located in the foothills of the Brooks Range, Pump Station 3 is the
second pump station to begin using new equipment and control systems.
Crews will also complete work at Pump Station 1 to enhance
leak protection on mainline valves, and test new operating equipment at
Pump Station 4.
Alyeska conducts line-wide shutdowns annually to allow
maintenance crews time to work on projects simultaneously along the
pipeline and at the terminal. These shutdowns coincide with the
producers’ routine maintenance on equipment and facilities on the North
Slope.
For further information, contact Michelle Egan, Alyeska
Corporate Communications Director, at 787-8870.
For more information on Alyeska, visit the company’s website at
www.alyeska-pipe.com.