United States: BP pipelines on ‘verge of collapse’

A large number of BP’s pipelines on Alaska’s North Slope are severely corroded and in danger of rupturing, an internal BP maintenance report obtained by investigative journalism group ProPublica, revealed on November 2.

The news comes less than two months after oil ceased gushing into the ocean from BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

The report said at least 148 BP pipelines in the region have been given an “F-rank” by company inspectors — a grading given when more than 80% of a pipe is corroded. The pipes transport oil, gas and other toxic substances.

The November 4 Sydney Morning Herald said BP workers had described the companies infrastructure in Alaska as “ageing” and “unreliable”, with “some oil and waste holding tanks … verging on collapse”.

BP mechanic Marc Kovac as said: “They’re going to run this out as far as they can without leaving one dollar on the table”, the SMH reported.

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