Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency Monday to ensure adequate fuel supplies reach the state whilst the Olympic Pipeline, which provides more than 90% of Oregon’s gasoline and jet fuel, remains shut down due to a leak discovered near Everett, Washington, creating supply concerns during the peak Thanksgiving travel period.
Governor Kotek’s emergency declaration is designed to maintain fuel deliveries to Oregon by ships and trucks, partly through temporarily waiving regulations governing how many consecutive hours commercial drivers hauling fuel can operate, allowing extended shifts to maximise delivery capacity whilst the primary supply pipeline remains offline, according to the governor’s executive order.
The BP-operated petroleum products pipeline runs from refineries near Ferndale, Washington, through the Puget Sound region into Oregon, serving as the primary fuel artery for both states. The pipeline has been shut down for more than a week following the initial report of a leak and several intermittent shutdowns earlier this month as operators attempted to locate and assess the problem.
BP crews have excavated approximately 200 feet (60 metres) of the 400-mile-long (644-kilometre) pipeline, working continuously around the clock to discover the precise source of the leak that was first reported in an area outside Everett, Washington, the company stated in a public update on repair progress.
Oregon officials indicated they do not anticipate actual fuel shortages developing in the state or at Portland International Airport given the emergency measures implemented to secure alternative supply routes, but cautioned that motorists might observe price increases at service stations because tanker truck and marine vessel deliveries cost significantly more than pipeline transport.
In Washington, where Governor Bob Ferguson declared a similar state of emergency last week authorising extended driving hours for fuel tanker operators, the pipeline shutdown is beginning to disrupt air travel operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the year’s busiest travel periods.
On Monday, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s largest carriers, Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines, acknowledged experiencing some flight delays attributable to jet fuel supply constraints created by the pipeline shutdown. The airlines are managing the situation by arranging for fuel to be transported to the airport via tanker trucks, a logistically complex and expensive alternative to pipeline delivery, and by directing pilots to arrive at Seattle with additional fuel reserves in their tanks or to make post-departure refuelling stops at other airports where fuel remains readily available.
The dual emergency declarations in Washington and Oregon reflect the critical importance of the Olympic Pipeline system to regional fuel distribution infrastructure, with both states heavily dependent on the single pipeline for the vast majority of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel consumed by motorists, commercial vehicles, and airlines. The lack of redundant pipeline capacity means that when the Olympic Pipeline experiences operational problems, states must immediately implement emergency measures to prevent supply disruptions that could strand travellers, halt commerce, and create panic buying that exacerbates shortages.
BP has not provided a specific timeline for completing repairs and restarting the pipeline, stating only that crews are working continuously to identify the leak source, assess the extent of pipe damage, and develop repair plans. The excavation of 200 feet of pipeline suggests investigators have narrowed the leak location but have not yet pinpointed the exact failure point, work that is complicated by the need to safely handle residual petroleum products in the pipe and surrounding soil whilst preventing environmental contamination.
The Thanksgiving timing of the shutdown creates particular challenges, as holiday travel generates peak fuel demand from both motorists driving to visit family and airlines operating heavily booked flights. Fuel supply disruptions during normal periods create inconvenience, but disruptions during major travel holidays risk creating cascading delays and cancellations that strand thousands of travellers far from home.
