This report summarizes a review of inspection and other maintenance documents of Tank 8, one of the large crude oil storage tanks at the Valdez Marine Terminal (VMT), looking for opportunities to reduce the risk of oil spills.
After some concerning findings during a 2019 internal inspection of Tank 8, Alyeska planned to replace the tank floor and cathodic protection (CP) system in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed those major repairs. The tank will be removed from service in 2023, at which time the floor and CP system will be replaced. Significant findings of this study include: The risk of a leak from Tank 8 between now and 2023 is low; Water may be accumulating under the tank floor because of an unmaintained exterior seal. This could damage the tank’s floor, Data used to ensure that Tank 8’s CP system is operating effectively is not being collected properly. Detailed findings and recommendations are in the final report.