Kuparuk Pipeline seeks 76% capacity expansion for North Slope crude

Kuparuk Transportation Company filed an application Monday to increase the metering capacity of the Kuparuk Pipeline from 360,000 barrels per day to 634,000 barrels per day, a 76 percent expansion that would accommodate growing North Slope crude volumes flowing into the Trans Alaska Pipeline System.

The project involves construction of a new meter module at Pump Station 1 on the Kuparuk Crude Oil Pipeline Right-of-Way Lease ADL 410221, where the Kuparuk Pipeline connects to TAPS. The Regulatory Commission of Alaska opened Docket P-26-009 to review the application and will determine whether the filing is complete by June 23.

Kuparuk Transportation Company operates under Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity No. 307. The Kuparuk Pipeline transports crude from the Kuparuk River Unit area to Pump Station 1, where it enters TAPS for the 800-mile journey to Valdez. TAPS has been operating at roughly one-quarter of its design capacity in recent years, with average throughput around 470,000 barrels per day.

Public comments are due by 5 p.m. on June 26. Requests for special accommodations for individuals with disabilities must be submitted to the Commission by June 19.