Airlines operating at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport are being warned they may need to conserve fuel due to a problem with a major pipeline that supplies jet fuel to the airport.
Carriers have been advised they may need to “ferry” fuel into Seattle — a practice in which planes load extra fuel at their departure city so they arrive with enough to operate their next flight without refueling at SeaTac.
Law enforcement sources told ABC News that a crack in the Olympic Pipeline near Everett, Washington, is the cause behind significant delays in fuel deliveries to the airport.
Alaska Airlines planes are pictured at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport the day after Horizon Air ground crew member Richard Russell took a plane from the airport in Seattle, Washington on August 11, 2018.
Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images
A law enforcement briefing obtained by ABC News indicates SeaTac’s fuel reserves could begin running low on Monday. Fuel is currently being trucked in rather than delivered via the pipeline, a process described as inefficient since only two trucks can offload into a tank at a time.
To keep fuel flowing, according to sources, the Olympic Pipeline Company is calling in drivers from neighboring states, and the Washington State Patrol is waiving driver-hour restrictions to expedite deliveries.
SeaTac officials told ABC News they are aware of the situation and are monitoring it closely. The airport maintains that it has sufficient reserves and does not anticipate any major impacts on Monday. Airlines are prepared to implement contingency plans if needed.
The 400-mile Olympic Pipeline, partially owned and operated by BP, transports refined fuel products across Washington and Oregon. Pipeline issues were blamed for a spike in gasoline prices in the region in September, though it’s unclear if that outage is related to the current jet fuel delivery problem.
In 1999, an explosion involving the Olympic Pipeline in Bellingham, Washington, killed three people.
ABC News has reached out to BP for comment on the current outage, but has not received a response.
