BP to Maintain Production from Western Prudhoe Bay

BP to Maintain Production from Western Prudhoe Bay

August 14, 2006

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aug. 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- BP
Exploration Alaska, Inc. today announced that it will
continue production of oil from the western side of the
Prudhoe Bay oil field. Current production is 150,000
barrels per day, including natural gas liquids, and is
expected to increase to 200,000 barrels per day as
Gathering Center 1 ramps up to full production after
completion of a planned maintenance shutdown.

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http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/NYM120LOGO )

    BP will complete the installation of 16 miles of new
oil transit line at Prudhoe Bay by early next year.  The
company continues to evaluate interim options for restoring
production from the eastern side of the field, subject to
the approval of the U.S. Department of Transportation,
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
 
    The decision to continue production from the western
half of the field was taken after close consultation with
federal and state regulatory agencies, review of more than
1400 ultrasonic inspections conducted on a key five-mile
section of pipeline and a decision to begin round-the-clock
visual and infrared surveillance of the line. 
 
    "Over the last five days we have doubled spot
inspections over a key five-mile segment of the oil transit
pipeline serving the western side of the field," said
BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone.  "The
results have been encouraging and have increased our
confidence in the operational integrity of this pipeline. 
With greatly enhanced surveillance and response capability,
I am confident we can continue to safely operate the
line."

    BP will continue ultrasonic inspection of the western
transit line and plans to complete additional inspections
in coming weeks.  The company will evaluate test results on
a daily basis to determine if repairs are required or if
continued operation of the line is appropriate.  BP plans
to run maintenance and smart pigs through the pipeline
before the end of November after installing a pig launcher
at Gathering Center 1.

    The surveillance effort will include daily over-flights
using forward looking infrared cameras, as well as the use
of hand-held infrared cameras on the ground.  The cameras
are capable of detecting small leaks by sensing changes in
pipeline surface temperatures.

    Two vehicles equipped with spill response equipment and
carrying observers with infra-red leak detection equipment
will patrol the line 24 hours a day.  They will be teamed
with pipeline walkers who will visually inspect the line 10
times a day.

    "We will ensure that our inspection and
surveillance programs meet or exceed the requirements of
the amended corrective action order issued August 10 by the
Department of Transportation," said BP Exploration
Alaska President Steve Marshall.  "State and federal
agency personnel have played an important role in reviewing
and testing our plans.  I want to thank them for giving this
effort their complete and undivided attention.

    "I also want to thank the hundreds of men and
women who have been inspecting pipe, studying the data,
developing plans for enhanced surveillance of the pipeline,
evaluating options and doing it all safely," Marshall
said.

    For more information, please contact:

     Ronnie Chappell
     BP Press Office, Anchorage
     Tel: [phone]
     Web: http://www.bp.com 

     Scott Dean
     BP Press Office, Anchorage
     Tel: [phone]
     Web: http://www.bp.com 

SOURCE  BP America