Damage to major fuel pipeline temporarily impacted deliveries to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
Airlines operating at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport were warned that they may have needed to conserve fuel due to a problem with a major pipeline that supplies jet fuel to the airport.
Carriers were advised of the possibility that they would have been needed to “ferry” fuel into Seattle -- a practice in which planes load extra fuel at their departure city so they arrive with enough to operate their next flight without refueling at SeaTac.
On Sunday night, the Olympic Pipeline’s partial owner and operator, BP, told ABC News it is investigating a “release” on the pipeline but that it “successfully implemented a partial restart on Sunday.”
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 routed the jet fuel to SeaTac while it investigates the release.
BP and airport officials said as of Sunday night, they are comfortable that contingency plans will not 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 behind significant delays in fuel deliveries to the airport.
BP has not yet identified how the release occurred and whether it is, indeed, a crack or something smaller like a pinhole. Excavation will be needed to identify the problem.
A law enforcement briefing obtained by ABC News indicated SeaTac’s fuel reserves would have been running low by Monday if the pipeline had not been restarted.
To keep fuel flowing, according to sources, the Olympic Pipeline Company was calling in drivers from neighboring states, and the Washington State Patrol is waiving driver-hour restrictions to expedite deliveries.
SeaTac officials told ABC News they are aware of the situation and are monitoring it closely. The airport maintains that it has sufficient reserves and does not anticipate any major impacts on Monday. Airlines are prepared to implement contingency plans if needed.
The 400-mile Olympic Pipeline, partially owned and operated by BP, transports refined fuel products across Washington and Oregon. Pipeline issues were blamed for a spike in gasoline prices in the region in September, though it’s unclear if that outage is related to the current jet fuel delivery problem.
In 1999, an explosion involving the Olympic Pipeline in Bellingham, Washington, killed three people.
