EXPERT PANEL ESTABLISHED FOR COOK INLET PIPELINE PROJECT

Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council

Representing citizens in promoting environmentally safe marine transportation and oil facility operations in Cook Inlet.

N E W S R E L E A S E

Expert panel established for Cook Inlet pipelines project

First meeting scheduled for May 2019

March 15, 2019—Kenai— Cook Inlet oil and gas pipelines are about to get a close look from a new expert panel charged with ensuring their integrity. Five experts have been selected by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) and the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (CIRCAC) to provide recommendations on pipeline integrity and safety in Cook Inlet, where more than 350 miles of pipelines move oil, gas, and related products among both offshore platforms and onshore facilities.

Panel members Dr. Christopher Dash, James Howell, Andrew Kendrick, Christopher Myers, and Dr. Shirish Patil have more than 150 years of professional experience among them. The five combine local expertise with a broader international perspective, with backgrounds in pipeline operations, engineering, integrity management, corrosion control, and risk analysis.

“I’m very pleased with the depth and breadth of experience the panel brings to this effort,” said Graham Wood, project manager for ADEC. Mike Munger, CIRCAC Executive Director, added, “We have been working towards this process for a long time and appreciate the willingness of the panel members to commit themselves to exploring options to enhance pipeline safety in Cook Inlet.”

Myers has an intimate knowledge of Cook Inlet oil and gas operations, while Howell and Dash have worked on pipeline safety in other parts of Alaska. Kendrick has consulted on risk management and safety for pipeline projects throughout the country, and Patil spent 30+ years teaching and studying petroleum engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks prior to moving to a similar role in Saudi Arabia.

"I look forward to reviewing the technical information and learning whatever I can from the pipeline operators and other panel members,” said Dr. Shirish Patil, Saudi Aramco Chair Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. “This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to sustaining Cook Inlet’s critical oil production infrastructure while also promoting safety and environmental protection.”

The panel will begin reviewing background information in March and convene in May to start their work together.

Contact: Tim Robertson, NUKA Research, (907) 234-7821.