Alaska probing BP pipeline management

[sproutster]

Alaska probing BP pipeline management
Governor suggests oil company misled the state with favorable maintenance reports.
August 9 2006: 10:11 PM EDT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) -- Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski suggested Wednesday that BP Plc misled the state with satisfactory maintenance reports and launched an investigation into the oil giant's handling of its pipeline corrosion.

Pipeline corrosion forced BP (Charts) to halt production at its Prudhoe Bay field and the company is studying whether it needs to shut down the entire 400,000 barrels-per-day field, which accounts for 8 percent of U.S. output.


The Republican governor said Alaska's attorney general is looking into possible enforcement actions, including a demand for lost tax revenues while the field is shut down.

After "numerous" satisfactory maintenance reports to the state in the past that oil-field pipeline corrosion was being adequately controlled, BP abruptly decided to shut down all of Prudhoe Bay without consulting the state, Murkowski said.

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Ooh read the article. The Dems want a more intense investigation with subpoena powers. I bet the Dems started, and the Repub snagged it. From what I hear from my hometown is Murkowski is on his way out.

[spindrifter]

1. Cool.

I haven't read everything about the shutdown, but I cannot imagine ANY justification for BP not having a contingency plan for keeping the pipeline properly maintained. They are losing barrels of money every day, they are screwing Alaska and the rest of us, to boot. The pipeline is critical infrastructure and should really be inspected by some federal entity--if we have a competent one to do so.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Invest in our infrastucture? What a shocking concept.

Why, if we invest our record profits in ludicrous things like upkeep and improvements to our product line and its transport systems, how will we afford our enormous bonuses? You can't expect my family to live off only a few measely million a year!