Bad weather shuts down trans-Alaska pipeline

[elehhhhna]

Oct. 10, 2006, 3:11PM
Bad weather shuts down trans-Alaska pipeline


By DAN JOLING
Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline was closed down today after operators lost communications amid rainy weather to remote valves that close in the event of a spill.

Mike Heatwole, spokesman for Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., said company protocol calls for the shutdown when valves cannot be shut down from long distance. The valves must be staffed by crews that can manually operate the valves, he said.

Flooding caused by heavy rain in south-central Alaska is suspected of knocking out fiber optic communication lines along the highway, Heatwole said.

Earlier today, a power outage caused by high winds forced BP PLC to close operations at Prudhoe Bay in northern Alaska, cutting production from 350,000 barrels to about 20,000 barrels, BP spokesman Daren Beaudo said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4249021.html

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. and with a battle group heading to Iran's beaches,

watch oil pop up to 72/bbl AFTER 11/7/06

[Geoff R. Casavant]

2. Better stock up now.

I'd wager gas will continue to go down regardless of any supply problems, until the election, following which it will boomerang into the stratosphere.

[pinto]

3. Seems a good move instead of ignoring the situation. Maybe the BP

fiasco has made some of these folks a little more "attentive" to safety concerns and procedure regulations.

[elehhhhna]

4. Maybe it should be SNOWING there rather than RAINING. Ask Al.

[Delphinus]

6. That was my thought too.

Is there a way for us to find out what the "normal" weather conditions would be for that area?

[Tempest]

8. Normal weather for the South Central is rain this time of year

It's wetter this year, but not by much.

High winds in Prudhoe Bay is normal year round.

[MissB]

7. Well, it is October.

My brother and I chat every year about the termination dust and how much longer it takes to arrive. It seems like it has been quite a bit warmer in recent winters. (I could grumble here about ice packed roads *I* had to drive on when I was in school, but I'd just sound like an old geezer or something.)

[anotherdrew]

9. they don't deserve thanks for following logical safety precautions

for all they know the flooding that knocked out the fiberoptic link is about to break the pipe too. Let's hope not.

[DiverDave]

5. Not a problem, prices will stay the same

that is, until AFTER the election, then it'll be a HUGE problem.

Greedy lying bastards. All of them.

[leesa]

10. It should be interesting as the permafrost continues to thaw. How will

they maintain the integrity of the pipelines up north?

[DiverDave]

11. I guess they didn't get the memo

the "oil shortage due to breakdowns" is supposed to be AFTER the elections

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

12. We'll see more of this in coming years. n/t