Asbestos Found in BP Pipeline

Article Added August 30th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story

After the initial problems that BP is having in the Alaskan oil fields, the company will have one more headache to deal with. Asbestos has been found in the insulation surrounding the pipes, causing some work to halt on the repairing of the pipes.

The Prudhoe Bay oil field has been a thorn in BP’s side for the last month or so. But a new worry has sprung up over the oil pipes for the company; as work was being done on the pipes, they were adhered with asbestos. The findings halted work on the pipeline for a few days as testing was being completed at the site. The adherent is used on the insulation of the piping to bind it to the steel, necessary as the hot oil is brought up from the freezing tundra of Alaska.

The pipeline was shut down after leaks were discovered and work began to strip the pipes to find the problem areas. The insulation stripping has been halted and more than 200 workers are sitting idle until they can be briefed on proper handling and specialized equipment can be provided. The asbestos that was found is non-friable, the only good news for the oil company. Non-friable asbestos is unlikely to fragment, averting the possibility of severe problems due to inhaling asbestos fibers.

Article Added August 30th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story