North Slope pipeline seeks 76% metering boost at TAPS connection

Kuparuk Transportation Company filed an application Monday to increase the metering capacity of its North Slope pipeline by 76 percent where it connects to the Trans Alaska Pipeline System.

The company asked the Regulatory Commission of Alaska for authority to modify existing facilities and construct a new meter module at Pump Station 1. The project would raise metering capacity from 360,000 barrels per day to 634,000 barrels per day.

The application is being processed under Docket P-26-009 as a pipeline application subject to commission review of safety, tariff, and facility modification issues. The commission has not yet assessed whether the application is complete and will decide by June 23.

Public comments are due by 5 p.m. June 26. Anyone who wants to comment should reference P-26-009 and include a statement that they served a copy of their comments on Kuparuk Transportation Company at the address listed for its attorney. The complete filing is available for inspection at the commission's Anchorage office and can be viewed online by entering "P-26-009" in the commission's docket search.

Individuals or groups with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact Shelby Lopez at the commission by June 19 for auxiliary aids, services, or alternative communication formats.

The Kuparuk Oil Pipeline is an intrastate North Slope feeder line that runs from the Kuparuk River Unit at Central Processing Facility 2 to Pump Station 1 of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, a distance of about 37 miles.