Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Begins 31st year.

• Author: KANE, ROGER

Since the first drop of crude was pumped through the trans Alaska oil pipeline in 1977, more than 13 billion barrels of North Slope crude have flowed from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. The company in charge of seeing that crude to its destination, 800 miles away, across hundreds of rivers and streams, and two mountain ranges, is Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.

Alyeska was formed more than 30 years ago, in August of 1970, to oversee the transportation of North Slope crude through the pipeline and ultimately aboard giant oil tankers, safely out to sea. Alyeska first moves the oil through the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, then into storage tanks at the Valdez Marine Terminal, and is responsible for loading the oil onto tankers. Alyeska's Ship Escort Response Vessel System then escorts the tankers out of Prince William Sound.

While there may be as many variables in the task as there are welds on the pipeline, Alyeska's Senior Vice President, Bill Howitt, said the company has three simple goals.

"Our absolute top priority is reliability. Number two-don't spill any oil. And number three is safety-nobody gets hurt," Howitt said.

While his company has come under fire frequently over the past few years in regards to maintenance procedures and employee relations, Howitt said a closer inspection reveals that Alyeska fills its orders on time between 99.6 percent and 99.8 percent of the time. Howitt attributes Alyeska's reliability to workers' high level of concentration, training and maintenance. It is very important to ensure reliability, as there are no other options or backup systems for getting the oil to market.

"If we shut down, the North Slope shuts down and very quickly after that, the West Coast of the United States shuts down," Howitt said.

While Alyeska has had a few significant spills in the last 23 years, Howitt is proud of its environmental record. Since oil began flowing in 1977, the pipeline has had 19 spills of 100 barrels or more and 26 spills under 100 barrels, according to the record of oil leaks and spills maintained by Alyeska. Only 16 gallon of crude was spilled in 1999 and no spills were reported in 2000, Howitt said.

Despite the bad press Alyeska has received in recent years, Howitt said Alyeska has an outstanding safety record, but he said there is always room for improvement. Although the company has historically been among the safest companies in the state, he said that's not good enough. The death of a truck driver last year in Valdez...