High Island Pipeline Sealed by Divers

Published Jan 4, 2007 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

The US Coast Guard has announced that that the ruptured Plains All American-operated High Island Pipeline crude pipeline has been completely secured. The pipeline, situated near Galveston, TX, was sealed by divers last weekend. Improving weather allowed the divers to return to the spill area, according to a Coast Guard news release. Assessments of damage to the pipeline can now commence.

The pipeline rupture, first discovered on Christmas eve, was initially given away by a drop in pipeline pressure. Crude oil then apparently seeped from the line until Sunday because poor weather conditions hampered the cleanup and repair operation. According to a Coast Guard press release, “Strong winds and large waves have made working conditions unsafe, forcing the dive ship American Victory and the skimmer Ampol Recovery to stop operations.”

By late Wednesday night, however, divers had sealed the shore side end of the breach by inflating rubber buoys inside the pipe. Eventually, the platform end of the pipeline was also secured, using essentially the same technique. Plains Pipeline is still trying to determine the accuracy of Coast Guard estimates, which put the spill at volumes of up to 44,500 gallons of crude oil. The spill occurred about 30 miles southeast of Galveston, TX.

Overflights by Coast Guard air assets revealed only “a very light sheen approximately .2 miles long by 10 feet wide on the surface of the water.” The Coast Guard also said that the oil was continuing to move away from shore and was quickly dispersing. None of the oil has washed ashore. The cause of the incident is still under investigation and plans for the permanent repair of the pipeline were being formulated. A Unified Command, consisting of Plains Pipeline LP, Coast Guard and Texas General Land Office personnel, was jointly involved with responding to and overseeing the operation.