Repair crews in Washington state have found the location of the leak in the Olympic Pipeline—and it is flowing again.
That’s good news for the airlines operating out of Seattle-Tacoma International (KSEA) and Portland International (KPDX) airports. Since the discovery of the leak and the subsequent shutdown of the pipes, the facilities have relied on tankering in fuel or adjusting the routes to allow for refueling stops.
The pipeline is a 400-mile system operated by BP Pipelines North America that runs from refineries in Whatcom County, Washington, down to Portland, Oregon. The pipeline is used to transport refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. It is the primary method for the delivery of aviation fuel to Sea-Tac and Portland.
For the airlines bracing for holiday travelers, renewal of the pipeline operation is good news, although they did their best to lessen the impact on the traveling public.
Two of the largest carriers on the West Coast—Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines—were quick to share the timely development.
“With the expected resumption of service from the Olympic Pipeline serving Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, we are returning to normal operations,” an Alaska Airlines spokesperson told FLYING. “We have discontinued all planned fuel stops but will continue to tanker and truck in additional fuel on a reduced basis as the pipeline increases to normal capacity. No other operational impacts are expected.”
Added a Delta spokesperson: “Delta is operating our full Seattle hub schedule and has discontinued fuel stops on select long-haul flights.”
About the Olympic Pipeline
The system consists of two pipelines at the release location—one 16-inch pipeline and one 20-inch pipeline.
“Testing conducted [Monday] found no indications of a leak in the 16-inch segment, allowing it to be safely restarted this morning,” BP said in a statement. “Testing also confirmed a leak in the 20-inch segment. Repair plans for the 20-inch segment are being developed, and a timeline for repair and restart will be shared when available. The safety of personnel, the environment, and the community remain our highest priority.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, BP did not have an estimate as to how many gallons were lost.
The spill was reported to BP on November 11 when someone noticed a sheen in a drainage ditch at a blueberry farm in Snohomish County, Washington. The pipeline shut down, and cleanup and repair crews were dispatched to the scene.
This is not the first time the Olympic Pipeline has leaked.
This week the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) announced it was levying a fine of $3.8 million against the Olympic Pipeline Company and BP Pipelines for a 2023 spill that put 21,000 gallons of gasoline into the environment near Conway, Washington. The fuel spill was near a residential area and school. According to a news release, the DOE is seeking to recover its response cost of $822,162 for the spill.
The 2023 spill was traced to a corroded nut. According to the investigation, the carbon steel nut on a three-eighths-inch, high-pressure, stainless-steel tubing corroded from contact with the tubing and periodic exposure to groundwater in the vault. The spill was detected when alarms were activated.
The spill included 4,000 gallons into a nearby fish-bearing stream and resulted in the temporary closure of a school nearby. The cleanup took three months as crews removed some 12,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 330,000 gallons of oily water from the location.
