Associated Press
ANCHORAGE — Officials with the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. are trying to figure out why the trans-Alaska oil pipeline apparently shifted recently.
Inspectors with Alyeska, which operates the 800-mile line, discovered Friday that the pipeline had shifted on the anchors that sit atop vertical supports.
The pipeline remains intact and no oil was spilled.
The shift occurred near Pump Station Five, just south of the Brooks Range, along an above-ground section of the line.
Company officials believe the shift occurred Jan. 3, one day before it was discovered, based on observations of snow on the pipeline and on the anchor assemblies, Alyeska spokesman Mike Heatwole said
The anchor assemblies are designed to absorb movement of the line laterally, vertically and longitudinally. The latest movement was outside the normal range of motion, Heatwole said. The shift tripped seven anchors along a one-and-a-half mile section of the line as the line moved longitudinally either toward Valdez or Prudhoe Bay.
The exact amount of movement has not been determined, but it’s believed to be within a range of "a few" to 14 inches, Heatwole said.
Crews began making repairs to the anchor assemblies Monday. Parts of the anchors are stationary and must be replaced after absorbing energy, Heatwole said. A crew also is trying to determine why the shift occurred.
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