[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] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: info@captaincook.com, 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: robert.w.smith@mms.gov. 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
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