Damage to a major oil pipeline temporarily affected deliveries to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Airlines serving Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were warned they may have needed to conserve fuel due to a problem with a major pipeline that supplies jet fuel to the airport.
Carriers were informed of the possibility that they had been needed to “transfer” fuel to Seattle, a practice in which planes load additional fuel at their departure city to arrive with enough to operate their next flight without refueling at SeaTac.
On Sunday night, the partial owner and operator of the Olympic Pipeline, BP, told ABC News that it is investigating a “release” on the pipeline but that it “successfully implemented a soft restart on Sunday.”
Alaska Airlines planes are displayed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport the day after Horizon Air ground crew member Richard Russell took a plane from the airport in Seattle, Washington, on August 11, 2018.
Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images
ABC News was told that a large amount of fuel was delivered to SeaTac via the pipeline on Sunday, easing fears of a shortage. It is unclear how BP sent the jet fuel to SeaTac as it investigates the release.
BP and airport officials said as of Sunday night that they are comfortable that no contingency plans will be needed and that there is enough fuel for operations as the week begins.
The update comes after law enforcement sources told ABC News that a “crack” in the Olympic Pipeline near Everett, Washington, was the cause of significant delays in fuel deliveries to the airport.
BP has not yet identified how the release occurred and whether it was indeed a crack or something smaller, such as a pinhole. Excavation will be necessary to identify the problem.
A police report obtained by ABC News indicated that SeaTac’s fuel reserves would have been running low on Monday if the pipeline had not restarted.
To keep fuel flowing, sources said, Olympic Pipeline Company was calling on drivers from neighboring states, and the Washington State Patrol is waiving driving hour restrictions to speed up deliveries.
SeaTac officials told ABC News they are aware of the situation and are monitoring it closely. The airport maintains it has sufficient reserves and does not foresee any major impact on Monday. Airlines are prepared to implement contingency plans if necessary.
The 400-mile Olympic Pipeline, partially owned and operated by BP, transports refined fuel products through Washington and Oregon. Pipeline problems were blamed for rising gasoline prices in the region in September, although it is unclear whether that disruption is related to the ongoing jet fuel supply problem.
In 1999, an explosion on the Olympic pipeline in Bellingham, Washington, killed three people.
