[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 195 (Friday, October 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54910-54911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26243]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Alaska Arctic Pipeline Workshop

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public workshop to be conducted by the 
Center for Cold Ocean Resources and Engineering (C-CORE), St. John's, 
Newfoundland, Canada, under sponsorship of MMS to facilitate the 
exchange of technical information on Arctic offshore pipelines. The 
objective of the workshop is to bring together a group of experts with 
skills related to offshore pipeline design, operation, maintenance, and 
inspection, to examine the current state of practice for Arctic 
pipeline alternatives under consideration for Alaska's offshore oil and 
gas reserves.

DATES: The public workshop will be held on November 8 and 9, 1999, from 
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., each day, at the location listed in the address 
section.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held in the ballroom of The Hotel 
Captain Cook, 939 West Fifth Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99501. Phone: 
(907) 276-6000, Email: [email protected], Reservations: 1-800-323-
7500 (Preferred Hotels) or 1-800-843-1950 (Hotel Captain Cook).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert W. Smith, MMS, Engineering 
and Research Branch, phone: (703) 787-1580, fax: (703) 787-1549, or 
email: [email protected]. For registration, please see below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MMS issued the Record of Decision and 
Approval Letter for the Development and Production Plan (DPP) for the 
BP Exploration Alaska Northstar Project on September 3, 1999. The 
approval covered the Federal portion of the joint State/Federal 
project, and is the first development plan approved for the Federal OCS 
offshore Alaska. The DPP provides for drilling up to seven wells from 
the Northstar Island into two OCS leases. MMS is reviewing the proposed 
Liberty DPP for a facility on the Beaufort Sea OCS. BP Exploration 
(Alaska) Inc. submitted the plan and the associated Oil Spill 
Contingency Plan (OSCP) to MMS in February 1998. The Liberty 
development project is located in the Beaufort Sea approximately 20 
miles east of Prudhoe Bay. The DPP and associated OSCP are presently 
under regulatory and environmental review.
    As a result of these two offshore developments, MMS awarded a 
research effort titled ``An Engineering Assessment Of Double Wall 
Versus Single Wall Designs For Offshore Pipelines In An Arctic 
Environment'' to C-CORE, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, to 
independently evaluate specific pipeline alternatives. In an effort to 
further develop an understanding of Arctic offshore pipeline issues, 
this workshop was initiated as part of the research effort to 
facilitate the exchange of information between the public, engineering 
community and regulatory agencies. Below is a preliminary agenda.

Preliminary Agenda

Introduction
    Overview of Arctic offshore activities and current MMS initiatives. 
Objectives of workshop
Challenges for Arctic Offshore Pipeline Developments
    To set scene and focus for workshop discussions
Arctic Offshore Pipelines Comparative Assessment

[[Page 54911]]

    Project overview
Pipeline Design, Construction and Operation
     Comparison of strain and stress criteria
     Northstar & Liberty Pipelines (Heavy wall Pipelines)
     Colville River Crossing Cased Pipeline
     Cook Inlet Pipelines
Pipeline Technology
     Pipeline configuration alternatives--overview
     Insulated Pipe-in-pipe (as used in deepwater Gulf of 
Mexico)
     Flexible Pipe (as used for flexible rises and jumpers on 
subsea pipelines)
     Pipe Bundles, including BPX Troika
     Petrochemical applications (for containment)
Pipeline Operational Monitoring Technology
     LEOS leak detection system
     SCADA based detection technology
     Position monitoring by pigging
     Monitoring & leak detection with smart pigging
Pipeline Risk Analysis
     PIRAMID Program
     Pipeline defect assessment
     Risk management system
     RAM Pipe, inc corrosion
     Life cycle costs vs. perceived risk
Regulations Panel Discussions
    This session will have the regulatory agencies (responsible for 
reviewing and monitoring pipeline-related functions) making 
presentations about their regulatory requirements.
     Department of Transportation
     Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
     State Pipeline Coordinator's Office
     Minerals Management Service
Breakout sessions for discussion (3 or 4 groups)
    Consensus building of appropriate technologies & techniques for 
Arctic offshore pipelines.
Summary & Concluding Remarks
    Including discussion leader summaries.

    Registration: The workshop will not have a registration fee. 
However, to assess the probable number of attendees, MMS asks attendees 
to register by contacting Dr. Ryan Phillips, C-CORE Workshop 
Coordinator at: (709) 737-8354, fax: (709) 737-4706, or email: 
[email protected].

    Dated: September 30, 1999.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 99-26243 Filed 10-7-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-U