(The Center Square) – The Olympic Pipeline has partially restarted after BP tested the pipeline on Monday.
“Testing conducted yesterday found no indications of a leak in the 16-inch segment, allowing it to be safely restarted this morning,” the company wrote in a statement sent to The Center Square.
The testing also confirmed a leak in a 20-inch segment, with repair plans being developed. A timeline for repair and restart is not available yet.
The Olympic Pipeline is the major jet fuel supplier for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and other terminal sites in Tacoma; Vancouver, Washington; and Portland, Oregon. The leak was discovered on Nov. 11 during routine maintenance between the cities of Everett and Snohomish.
While the system was offline, Delta Airlines warned international long-haul travelers that the limited fuel supply could trigger schedule changes. However, The Center Square previously reported that the Olympic Pipeline outage has not impacted holiday travel at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Alaska Airlines, SEA’s largest carrier, said it did not expect holiday-week disruptions while the leakage investigation was ongoing. The company implemented contingency plans as a preemptive measure. Those include tankering in fuel on inbound flights to Seattle, assessing tech stop options along certain routes to conserve fuel, and maintaining trucking operations to bring in additional fuel supply.
Washington leaders took notice of the pipeline outage, with Gov. Bob Ferguson issuing an emergency proclamation earlier this month that temporarily waives state limits on the number of hours commercial motor vehicle operators can drive when transporting jet fuel.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., recently posted a letter addressed to BP North America CEO Murray Auchincloss demanding details on repair plans, leak detection, and inspection procedures. She noted that SEA generates $17 billion in revenue for the region and supports more than 170,000 direct and indirect jobs.
