"To date, all of our inspections have found no integrity issues beyond those identified in the initial line inspection," the company said in an Aug. 29 press release.

There are a total of 7.9 miles of field transit pipelines in Prudhoe's Eastern Operating Area, which is still shut down, and 7.9 miles in the Western Operating Area of the field, which remains in production. Production from the Prudhoe field is continuing at approximately 200,000 barrels per day.

BP also said it has stripped 15,000 feet of insulation material from pipelines in the eastern side to facilitate ultrasound inspections, but insulation removal on the western side is still suspended following the discovery of asbestos in some of the insulation material. The removal of insulation will continue as soon as BP determines the best way to protect workers from the material, the company said in its press release.

Despite the asbestos issue, production through the western area pipelines is continuing. There is no asbestos in the insulation in the eastern area pipelines.

"Our efforts are continuing in three general areas. We are continuing to inspect the field transit lines to determine areas of weakness; we are investigating several options for bypass of the damaged pipelines; and we have ordered materials and are in engineering to do the replacement of these pipelines," BP spokesman Steve Rinehart said.

David Peattie, BP's vice president of exploration and production, said on an Aug. 18 visit to Prudhoe Bay that it has so far found no loss of pipeline wall thickness greater than 40 percent in the eastern area Prudhoe pipelines beyond the one pipeline from Flow Station 2, where loss of more than 70 percent of wall metal was reported Aug. 4. It was that discovery that caused BP to order the shutdown of the eastern side of the field.

Even though the loss of metal has been at 40 percent in the pipelines being inspected, the company said it still intends to replace the pipe when shipments of new pipe are received later this year, a state official said on background.

Production from Prudhoe was cut Aug. 23 when a compressor in Gathering Station 2 failed. The compressor was repaired and production resumed Aug. 27. Production from the west side was also increased when a maintenance shutdown on Gathering Station 1 was completed.

Meanwhile, BP said it has completed orders for 16 miles of pipe to replace existing transit lines in Prudhoe Bay. The pipe will be supplied by U.S. mills with anticipated delivery in the fourth quarter of the year, the company said Aug. 29.

Tim Bradner can be reached at