HOUSTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Two oil tankers were waiting to load Alaska North Slope crude oil at the Valdez terminus of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System Tuesday, delayed by high winds in the port, the U.S. Coast Guard said,
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, which operates the 800-mile TAPS for a consortium of oil companies, confirmed Monday that high winds exceeded the limits for safe loading but could not give details.
When loading at the port slows, flows in the pipeline have to be slowed, but the Alyeska spokesman could quantify neither the slowdown nor the wind speeds that trigger it.
High winds are a periodic winter problem at Valdez, and this episode began last week, officials said.
One tanker finished loading Tuesday and departed. A second tanker docked to load. Two other tankers were waiting at anchorage near Valdez to unload, the Coast Guard said.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation requires that every ship that loads be surrounded by floating barriers called 'booms' in case any oil leaks. High winds create waves that render the booms less effective.
(Reporting by Bruce Nichols; Editing by David Gregorio)
((Email: b.nichols@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8510; Reuters Messaging: bruce.nichols.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: ALASKA PIPELINE/SLOWDOWN (For help: Click 'Contact Us' in your desk top, click here or call 1-800-738-8377 for Reuters Products and 1-888-463-3383 for Thomson products; For client training: training.americas@thomsonreuters.com ; +1 646-223-5546) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, which operates the 800-mile TAPS for a consortium of oil companies, confirmed Monday that high winds exceeded the limits for safe loading but could not give details.
When loading at the port slows, flows in the pipeline have to be slowed, but the Alyeska spokesman could quantify neither the slowdown nor the wind speeds that trigger it.
High winds are a periodic winter problem at Valdez, and this episode began last week, officials said.
One tanker finished loading Tuesday and departed. A second tanker docked to load. Two other tankers were waiting at anchorage near Valdez to unload, the Coast Guard said.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation requires that every ship that loads be surrounded by floating barriers called 'booms' in case any oil leaks. High winds create waves that render the booms less effective.
(Reporting by Bruce Nichols; Editing by David Gregorio)
((Email: b.nichols@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8510; Reuters Messaging: bruce.nichols.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: ALASKA PIPELINE/SLOWDOWN (For help: Click 'Contact Us' in your desk top, click here or call 1-800-738-8377 for Reuters Products and 1-888-463-3383 for Thomson products; For client training: training.americas@thomsonreuters.com ; +1 646-223-5546) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.