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File photoSALT LAKE CITY -- As a result of two oil spills on Salt Lake's east bench, Chevron will purge its pipeline all the way from Hanna in Duchesne County to the Wasatch Front.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has approved Chevron's plans for the purge. The procedure will allow Chevron to do the future work that's required before it can reopen the pipeline.
"Since we won't let them restart the pipeline, they basically had to come up with a method on how they could remove the residual oils," said Salt Lake City Public Utilities director Jeff Niermeyer.
It'll again get us to the next step of doing the investigation of the pipeline to ensure its integrity into the future and hopefully get us to a much safer pipeline.
–Jeff Niermeyer
The residual oil was trapped inside the pipeline, when Chevron was forced to shut it down after its latest spill on Dec. 1. The company must purge the pipeline before cold temperatures cause the crude oil to solidify.
Crews will use a rubber and foam device, called a pig to do it. That pig will begin its ride in Hanna and make its way through the pipeline to Salt Lake.
"The head of it will force all of the oil out and down the refinery," Niermeyer said.
The city says there will be pressure in the pipeline while it happens, but less than normal.
"It's not being pressurized by oil as the normal operations but by nitrogen gas, which is an inert gas," Niermeyer said.
The procedure will begin Thursday morning at 7:00 and take up to 48 hours. Two dozen spotter crews will monitor the pig along its route.
Salt Lake City will also have workers and first responders on notice, in case something happens. The end result will help prevent future disasters.
"It'll again get us to the next step of doing the investigation of the pipeline to ensure its integrity into the future and hopefully get us to a much safer pipeline," Niermeyer said.
Salt Lake City has hired an independent expert to inspect and review the Chevron pipeline and its operations.
Richard Kuprewicz, president of the Seattle-based consulting firm Accufacts, Inc., will be in Salt Lake Thursday to take questions from the media.
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
