Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. is working on a repair for a small crude oil leak found in a buried section of the trans-Alaska pipeline, but for now an employee with a rag suffices for management.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the Alyeska’s Fairbanks shop is building a metal sleeve to contain the leak in a fitting between two pipes.
The company reported May 29 that the pipeline had leaked 10 gallons but Alyeska spokeswoman Michelle Egan says it is now dripping less than a teaspoon a day.
Currently the company is sending an employee to wipe the fitting twice a day to manage the crude oil.
The trans-Alaska pipeline has seen several spills measured in hundreds or thousands of gallons. Egan says the drip is unusual.
