The Alaska Department of Natural Resources is finishing preventative maintenance on the Nikiski Alaska Pipeline which runs underground from Nikiski to the Port of Anchorage.
Program Manager Graham Smith with the State Pipeline Coordinator’s office said crews used the prime summer months to conduct integrity investigations and replace portions of the pipeline.
Smith: “It’s sort of a multistage process where initially they will go in and investigate areas that might be of concern or that they have detected through various methods that might have some wall loss. After they’ve identified those then they’ll either go in and repair anomalies if that’s the preferred method and acceptable or in some places they’ll actually replace the pipe entirely. They’re not replacing the entire pipeline, just certain sections.”
That pipeline’s construction was finished in 1977 and Smith said preventative maintenance is routine for lines nearly 30-years-old.
Tesoro operates the pipeline which begins at the Nikiski refinery, runs underground along the Kenai Spur Highway to the Captain Cook State Recreation Area and then under the Turnagain arm terminating at the Port of Anchorage.
The pipeline was shutdown and restarted during the preventative maintenance without incident.
The State Pipeline Coordinator’s Office will conduct another field inspection and on-site information gathering meeting tomorrow.