Trans-Alaska Pipeline To Shut 2 Days For Maintenance

15th Jun 2010 22:44

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones)--The Trans-Alaska Pipeline will shut for two days this weekend for scheduled maintenance, the pipeline operator said Tuesday. The pipeline will be shut from Saturday morning through Sunday, with maintenance expected to last up to 36 hours, Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. said in a release. The planned repairs and inspections aren't related to the electrical problems that caused an oil spill and nearly four-day pipeline shutdown last month. The weekend shutdown is the first of two planned for this summer, according to Alyeska. The pipeline is owned by BP PLC (BP, BP.LN), ConocoPhillips (COP), Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), Chevron Corp. (CVX) and Koch Alaska Pipeline Co. The 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline ships crude oil from fields on the North Slope to Port Valdez, where the oil is loaded onto tanker vessels. The oil flow on the pipeline has averaged about 650,000 barrels a day this year. -By Cassandra Sweet, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-439-6468; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 15, 2010 17:44 ET (21:44 GMT)