BP's Foreign-Flag ANS Charter Signals Export Intentions
British oil company BP Plc has chartered a foreign-flagged vessel to transport Alaskan crude, the company said on Monday, the latest sign that producers of Alaskan North Slope, or ANS, crude are eyeing new markets. ANS is mostly transported to the U.S. West Coast on U.S.-flagged vessels owned by BP, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil. Two shipments have left U.S. ports this year for destinations in Japan and Nicaragua, but ANS exports remain rare because of the high shipping costs from Alaska. BP spokeswoman Dawn Patience said in an email that the company had chartered Tianlong Spirit, a Bahamas-flagged Suezmax vessel, for commercial and operational reasons.
Severe Flooding Cuts Off Lone Road to Alaska's Oilfield
Alaska's lone road to North Slope oil field operations remains closed for the third time in two months while emergency crews continue to redirect flooding from an adjacent river, state officials said on Friday. Alaska Governor Bill Walker's office said he would sign a second disaster proclamation while in Deadhorse, the base of operations for several oilfields, after a three-day tour of drill sites that included a fly-over of the flooded area. Production and pipeline operations have not been affected by the closure, said BP Plc spokeswoman Dawn Patience, operator for the Prudhoe Bay field. A 10-mile stretch of the Dalton Highway leading into Deadhorse shut down early on Monday morning and state transportation officials had hoped to re-open the roadway on Friday.
