Reinspection Indicates That Trans-Alaska Pipeline Is OK

A reinspection of 19 points along the trans-Alaska pipeline revealed no serious new cracking or corrosion on the conduit that carries about a quarter of the nation’s crude oil production, state and federal officials said Monday.

The review, begun after complaints from a disgruntled subcontract worker, showed “no significant problems” along the 800-mile pipeline that might have been glossed over in earlier tests, said Rod Swope, outgoing commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

“We have a high degree of confidence that the integrity of the pipeline is sound, as we previously thought,” said Marnie Isaacs, a spokeswoman for Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., the pipeline’s operator, which represents a consortium of oil companies.

The new tests were completed last week, but federal officials have not made a decision on whether to allow Alyeska to boost pressure along the pipeline. Alyeska wants to increase oil flow in light of the Persian Gulf crisis.

In a finding unrelated to the reinspections, potentially troublesome moisture has turned up beneath metal sleeves previously installed to correct corrosion problems. It is unclear whether the water could require future repairs, but Isaacs insisted that it posed no significant problem.

The new tests, which took about four weeks, were undertaken after Edward W. Thompson, a former inspector with contractor Thorpe Technical Services of Anchorage, maintained that poorly trained workers falsified results or ignored problems in earlier pipeline tests.

A criminal investigation into charges of drug or alcohol abuse by pipeline workers is pending.