Spokesman: Maintenance plans to affect oil flow of trans-Alaska pipeline in coming weeks
By APWednesday, June 9, 2010
Maintenance to affect Alaska oil pipeline flow
JUNEAU, Alaska — The operator of the trans-Alaska pipeline says its flow of oil will drop in the coming weeks because crude oil producers have started their annual summer maintenance.
Matt Carle, a spokesman for Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., says the line also plans to shut down once or twice this summer for its own seasonal maintenance. He says those shutdowns typically last 36 to 48 hours. The first is expected around June 19 or 20.
Last month, a contained spill shut down the 800-mile line for more than three days.
Carle said Wednesday that the rate of oil moving through the line is about 610,000 barrels per day. That’s about 11 percent of the estimated 5.5 million barrels of oil that are produced domestically every day.
