Arctic Environments
TRANS-ALASKA PIPELINE
Fire Protection Upgrades
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline’s Marine Terminal in Valdez Alaska is the southern terminus of the 800 mile long pipeline. Here oil from the North Slope of Alaska has been loaded into oil tankers for transport since 1977. The Alyeska pipeline marine terminal and the entire pipeline it serves are true engineering and construction marvels. GSI’s Tom Wysocki is honored to have served as a fire protection consultant for the pipeline.
In 1991, GSI conducted a periodic safety review of the terminal and identified a number of areas where fire protection improvements were desired. GSI served as Project Engineer overseeing design, installation, and commissioning of major additions to the Fire Protection systems protecting the terminal. The additions, valued at over 4 million 1992 dollars, included standard sprinkler systems for several warehouses and office complexes, remote controlled foam monitors for the oil tanker berths, carbon dioxide systems for high voltage switchgear rooms, Halon systems for high value communications equipment, and advanced, early warning fire detection for computer equipment areas.
After the successful project at the Marine Terminal, GSI was assigned to review the fire protection at each of the eleven Pump Stations along the pipeline. The review identified areas where improvements were desirable. Again, GSI oversaw the implementation of the upgrades. We are proud to have been part of the history of the pipeline. Below, Tom Wysocki relates some of his experiences traveling the pipeline.
Traveling the Pipeline
Above the Arctic Circle -- air temperature -50 Fahrenheit.
GSI reviewed fire protection measures at 11 Pump Stations serving the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Tom Wysocki traveled the 800 mile pipeline twice while doing the survey. The first trip was in Winter. Temperatures reached 50 below zero with wind chills below 100 degrees. Road closures due to drifting snow and avalanches were common during the two week journey. Tom was delayed only once due to road conditions. He noted, “Through the entire trip, road closures in front of me got cleared shortly before I reached them. Then often less than an hour after I got through, I would hear on the radio that the road behind me was blocked. I did have to spend two extra days at Pump Station 10 when avalanches closed the highway both North and South of the Station. All in all, the trip went well especially considering the extreme weather conditions.”
