Alyeska Pipeline Service Company Lauded for Lift Station Removal Project

In accepting the award, Alyeska President and CEO John Kurz said removing pump stations shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign that production won’t increase or that Alyeska won’t be ready for larger volumes.

“There’s sentimentality and nostalgia for TAPS—especially as we close in on our 50th anniversary—and I hear that wherever I go in the state,” Kurz told the lunchtime crowd. “Facility removal projects can stir up a range of emotions and reactions, and to be clear, when we decrease our footprint, this isn’t about going out of business or scaling back. It’s really about removing legacy facilities that are no longer needed for daily operations, and it demonstrates investment in our future and our long-honored commitment to operating responsibly in Alaska.”

Alyeska has decommissioned and removed equipment at Pump Stations 10 and 12 and is in the process of doing so at Pump Stations 2 and 8. The company also plans to decommission and remove equipment at Pump Station 6 and remove legacy equipment at Pump Stations 1, 3, 4, and 9. The company states on its website that each pump station has a unique construction and operational history that requires site-specific demolition work planning, including removing structures to match surrounding grades; removing concrete slabs and, if necessary, demolishing concrete that projects above surrounding grades or slabs; filling in sumps and depression with processed concrete from demolition; cleaning up known environmental issues; and removing and recycling equipment and scrap.

Alyeska states that it prepared in 2023 for removal of Pump Station 8—slated for 2026— by handling 91,000 gallons of hydrocarbons and wash water while cleaning more than 8 miles of out-of-service above- and below-ground piping to meet regulatory standards.

By reusing concrete as fill at Pump Stations 10 and 12, the company says it saved seventy-two loads of rubble from being hauled to a landfill, resulting in an estimated savings of 16,200 gallons of diesel and a substantial reduction of risk related to driving time. It also reduced an estimated 181 tons of greenhouse gas due to the reduced trucking.

Following removal and restoration at the pump stations, Alyeska says only oil spill contingency plan-related equipment and communication modules remain at the site.

“They reused materials, led with care for the animals and the birds and the environment, and worked with operations and crews to help us achieve a reduced footprint that’s a more natural and scenic setting, and reduced risk to wildlife and the environment,” Kurz said at the presentation.

Kurz added, “We are becoming more efficient, and optimizing operations in our facilities allows us to focus on delivering oil and working toward TAPS 100. That’s 100 years of operation in 2077. We believe we will get there.”