Olympic Pipeline partially online; drivers should be OK

PORTLAND, Oregon (KOIN) — The Pacific Northwest’s major fuel artery is partially back up and running after a two-week shutdown that forced the governors of Oregon and Washington to declare a fuel emergency; This has raised concerns about disruptions ahead of peak Thanksgiving travel.

BP confirmed early Monday that its Olympic Pipeline, which provides more than 90% of Oregon’s transportation fuel, has completed a partial restart after tests showed no leaks in its 16-inch line.

Kotek declares fuel emergency as holiday drivers hit the road

But tests also confirmed a leak in a 20-inch section of the pipeline near Everett, Washington.

“Repair plans for the 20-inch segment are being developed and a timeline for repair and restart will be shared when possible,” BP wrote in a statement. “The safety of staff, the environment and the community remains our top priority.”

AAA Oregon/Idaho Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds called the partial reopening encouraging news ahead of what she expects to be record holiday travel.

“The numbers are staggering,” Dodds said. “82 million Americans travel across the country. More than 1.1 million here in Oregon – That’s up 2% from last year and exceeds pre-pandemic numbers.”

Dodds said the temporary closure has had only a modest impact on fuel prices so far.

“The Oregon average has increased by only four cents since the outage was reported in mid-November,” Dodd explained. “We last saw the Oregon average increase by 32 cents in September, but there were other factors affecting supplies at the time.”

Even in the event of a shutdown, analysts say most drivers shouldn’t expect major problems.

“You may see a station run out of gas temporarily, maybe for a few hours. But most stations should be fine,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of oil analysis. GazBuddy.

Pump prices in Portland and Vancouver remain above the national average — slightly higher than last week and significantly higher than this time last year, according to AAA — but analysts believe any additional increases should be limited unless the 20-inch line remains offline longer than expected.

DeHaan told KOIN 6 News the closure shows how important this single pipeline is for fuel distribution. “It would take approximately 1,400 tanker trucks every day to replenish the pipeline capacity of this Olympic system,” he said.

The closure also affected Sea-Tac Airport, which depends on the pipeline for jet fuel. The airport has previously had to reroute some flights and request additional fuel “tankers” from incoming planes. DeHaan said the strategy will likely keep Thanksgiving travel stable.

“That’s how airports like SeaTac have survived so far,” he said. “Airlines like Delta, American and United fly to these destinations with enough fuel to get home.”

Both Oregon and Washington have issued fuel emergency declarations aimed at keeping supplies flowing while repairs continue.

“This order was issued to ensure the continued adequate supply of fuel to Oregon,” Oregon said. Governor Tina Kotek said the following. “Oregon is not currently experiencing supply shortages.”

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson issued a similar proclamation focusing on ensuring jet fuel is transported to Sea-Tac.

“This declaration will help the airport maintain fuel supply while the pipeline is down and limit disruption to passengers,” Ferguson said.

Both governors’ emergency orders remain in effect.

According to BP, the cause of the leak is under investigation. There is currently no timeline for when the 20-inch pipeline will fully restart.

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