The Drift River Terminal Facility , also known as the Drift River Oil Terminal , is a tank farm which holds crude oil before it is loaded onto oil tankers and transported to refineries. It is located in Alaska along Cook Inlet , at the terminus of the Drift River, an historic floodplain of nearby volcanic Mount Redoubt . The facility is owned and operated by Cook Inlet Pipeline Company, a Houston-based corporation owned by Hilcorp . Oil is collected into the tanks via the submerged Cook Inlet Pipeline, which connects the tank farm to the oil fields on the west side of Cook Inlet. Oil tankers load crude from the tanks via a pump station located approximately one mile offshore, known as the Christy Lee Platform.
34-430: The tank farm's location has been controversial since the 1989/1990 eruption of Mount Redoubt , when the facility was flooded by lahars . Concerns were renewed during the 2009 eruptions of Redoubt. Dikes built after the 89/90 eruptions have kept the 2009 flooding away from the tanks, but an adjacent aircraft hangar and runway were damaged. A major eruption of Redoubt on April 4, 2009 and subsequent flash floods damaged
68-462: A Boeing 747 aircraft, in its plume. After the plane descended 13,000 feet, the pilots restarted the engines and landed the plane safely at Anchorage . The ash blanketed an area of about 7,700 sq mi (20,000 km ). The 1989 eruption is also notable for being the first ever volcanic eruption to be successfully predicted by the method of long-period seismic events developed by Swiss/American volcanologist Bernard Chouet . As of August 2015,
102-545: A 1947 law, Public Law 80-242. The 1969 BGN publication Decisions on Geographic Names in the United States stated the agency's chief purpose as: [Names are] submitted for decisions to the Board on Geographical names by individuals, private organizations, or government agencies. It is the Board's responsibility to render formal decisions on new names, proposed changes in names, and names which are in conflict. [The decisions] define
136-473: A dusty shower of volcanic ash that could descend on south-central Alaska. By January 31, volcanic earthquakes increased to several per hour, and a large hole in the glacier on the side of the mountain was spotted. Scientists began to monitor seismic data from the mountain twenty-four hours a day in an effort to warn people in nearby communities. A fly over conducted by the AVO detected "significant steaming from
170-509: A generator facility and disrupted plans to remove the remaining crude oil from the facility and replace it with ballast water to stabilize the tanks and protect them from being dislodged during any future flooding. While the facility was again surrounded by lahars, the tank farm itself was not flooded and workers at the facility were not injured. The workers on site were evacuated to a "safe room" complete with food and sleeping quarters, as well as bathrooms and entertainment facilities to wait out
204-541: A large gap," which could possibly suggest the crack formation in the volcano's crater, however, it is unlikely. Supposedly, the volcano was ejecting "flames" from its crater, and the eruption terrified natives in the area. Newspapers seemed to suggest that the ash had traveled for more than 150 miles (240 km), reaching the opposite side of the Cook Inlet . The volcano erupted on December 14, 1989, and continued to erupt for over six months. Sudden melting of snow and ice at
238-418: A new melt depression at the mouth of the summit crater near the vent area of the 1989-90 eruption." Seismic activity at Redoubt increased beginning about 13:01 ATZ . An AVO observation flight reported that a steam and ash plume rose as high as 15,000 feet (4,600 m) above sea level and produced minor ash fall on the upper south flank of Redoubt. Later reports were that the plume was then mainly steam. On
272-412: A party of native hunters half-way up its slopes were overwhelmed by a lava-flow and only two escaped." However, this eruption is not well documented by other sources. The volcano erupted rather abruptly in 1902, spewing out ash from January 18 to June 21 in the year. A local newspaper stated, "Word has just been received that Redoubt, one of the volcanoes at Cook's Inlet had an eruption on January 18, and
306-407: A trial period for a newly developed device proposed to measure the movement of rocks against each other. This device, now known as an Acoustic Flow Monitor, alerts nearby stations to possible lahars. The eruption also caused an airliner to have all four engines fail after a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flew into a cloud of volcanic ash. Damage from the eruption
340-537: Is about 3.7 miles (6.0 km) in diameter at its base with a rough volume of 7.2 to 8.4 cu mi (30–35 km ). The sides of the upper cone are relatively steep (in comparison to volcanoes in general). Made up of pyroclastic flow deposits and lava flows , and resting on Mesozoic era rocks of the Aleutian Mountain Range batholith , the mountain has been somewhat weathered by movement of several glaciers that reside on it. The current main vent
374-566: Is derived from the other. The Board on Geographic Names decided on the name "Redoubt Volcano" in 1891. The Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution refers to the mountain simply as "Redoubt", and lists these alternate names: Burnt Mountain, Goreloi, Mirando, Ujakushatsch, Viesokaia, and Yjakushatsch. The Alaska Volcano Observatory also uses simply "Redoubt"; it lists the same alternate names in addition to: Goryalaya, Redoute Mtn., and Redutskaya, Sopka. The volcano
SECTION 10
#1732872738519408-592: Is on the north side of the crater by the head of the Drift glacier. Also present on the mountain are Holocene lahar deposits that extend as far as the Cook Inlet. This mountain has produced andesite , basalt and dacite , with relatively silicic andesite dominant in recent eruptions. Captain James Cook saw Mt. Redoubt during the summer of 1778, describing it as "emitting a white smoke but no fire which made some think it
442-557: Is the highest summit in the Aleutian Range. In 1976, Redoubt Volcano was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. Active for millennia, Mount Redoubt has erupted four times since it was first observed: in 1902, 1966, 1989 and 2009, with two questionable eruptions in 1881 and 1933. The eruption in 1989 spewed volcanic ash to a height of 45,000 ft (13,700 m). It caught KLM Flight 867 ,
476-519: The Alaska Volcano Observatory has rated Redoubt as Aviation Alert Level Green and Volcano Alert Level Normal. The official name of the mountain is Redoubt Volcano, a translation of the Russian name " Sopka Redutskaya ", referring to, as does the word " redoubt ", "a fortified place". A local name, "Ujakushatsch", also means "fortified place", but it is difficult to determine if one name
510-463: The Board on Geographical Names . "To this Board shall be referred all unsettled questions concerning geographic names. The decisions of the Board are to be accepted [by federal departments] as the standard authority for such matters." The board was given authority to resolve all unsettled questions concerning geographic names. Decisions of the board were accepted as binding by all departments and agencies of
544-526: The ConocoPhillips Building in Anchorage for an ash plume . Possible steam-vapor let off was observed in 1933 at the mountain. There was apparently an eruption described as "to the eastward, Redoubt Volcano, 11,060 feet (3,370 m) high, is constantly smoking, with periods of exaggerated activity. Fire has been seen issuing from its summit far out at sea. A great eruption took place in 1881, when
578-587: The Library of Congress , and the US Postal Service . The BGN rules on hundreds of naming decisions annually and stores over two million geographical records in its databases at geonames.usgs.gov. State and local governments and private mapping organizations usually follow the BGN's decisions. The BGN has an executive committee and two permanent committees with full authority: the 10- to 15-member Domestic Names Committee and
612-616: The U.S. state of Alaska . Located at the head of the Chigmit Mountains subrange in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve , the mountain is just west of Cook Inlet , in the Kenai Peninsula Borough about 110 miles (180 km) southwest of Anchorage . At 10,197 feet (3,108 m), in just over 5 miles (8.0 km) Mount Redoubt attains 9,150 feet (2,790 m) of prominence over its surrounding terrain. It
646-641: The federal government . The board has since undergone several name changes. In 1934, it was transferred to the Department of the Interior . The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names was established in 1943 as the Special Committee on Antarctic Names (SCAN). In 1963, the Advisory Committee on Undersea Features was started for standardization of names of undersea features. Its present form derives from
680-737: The federal government of the United States . Nevertheless, its rulings and policies have been controversial from time to time. On January 8, 1890, Thomas Corwin Mendenhall , superintendent of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Office, wrote to 10 noted geographers "to suggest the organization of a Board made up of representatives from the different Government services interested, to which may be referred any disputed question of geographical orthography." President Benjamin Harrison signed executive order 28 on September 4, 1890, establishing
714-472: The 8- to 10-member Foreign Names Committee. Both comprise government employees only. Each maintains its own database. The BGN does not create place names but responds to proposals for names from federal agencies; state, local, and tribal governments; and the public. Any person or organization, public or private, may make inquiries or request the board to render formal decisions on proposed new names, proposed name changes, or names that are in conflict. Generally,
SECTION 20
#1732872738519748-521: The BGN defers federal name use to comply with local usage. There are a few exceptions. For example, in rare cases where a locally used name is very offensive, the BGN may decide against adoption of the local name for federal use. The BGN does not translate terms, but instead accurately uses foreign names in the Roman alphabet. For non-Roman languages, the BGN uses transliteration systems or creates them for less well-known languages. The BGN does not recognize
782-632: The BGN in cooperation with the US Geological Survey , includes topographic map names and bibliographic references. The names of books and historic maps which confirm the feature or place name are cited. Variant names, alternatives to official federal names for a feature, are also recorded. The BGN has members from six federal departments as well as the Central Intelligence Agency , the US Government Publishing Office ,
816-471: The Mountain was clear which was above 48 hours." However, several sources call this a "discredited eruption". There are several other of these activities that are not called eruptions. In 1819, smoke was observed at the mountain. However, this is often not recorded as an eruption as the information was insufficient to identify it as such. Similarly, in 2003, a blowing cloud of snow was mistaken by an employee of
850-452: The basis of this change in activity, AVO increased the level of concern and alert level to ORANGE/WATCH. The material ejected from the volcano mainly consisted of water vapor , along with smaller amounts of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide . Further study by airborne monitors suggests that the materials were not oxidized much, and little of the concentration contained sulfates , less than 20%. Mount Redoubt erupted explosively late in
884-399: The country for 150 miles (240 km) around was covered with ashes and lava. The news comes from Sunrise, but nothing definite has been ascertained as to whether any damage was done, for no boats have as yet been in the neighborhood of the volcano." There were many other news reports on the eruption, one describing the eruption as "a terrific earthquake which burst the mountain asunder leaving
918-485: The evening of March 22, 2009. AVO recorded numerous volcanic eruptions and/or explosions at Redoubt volcano during this period of activity. Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names ( BGN ) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior . The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout
952-461: The flooding. On April 5, the Coast Guard determined that the tanks could not be refilled with ballast water after the oil was removed, as the water would then become a hazardous waste that the facility would not be able to dispose of properly. Instead, the oil will simply be removed and sent to refineries, with damage to the tanks from further flooding still possible. The Coast Guard will coordinate
986-401: The oil removal with the Alaska Volcano Observatory and proceed when it is safe to do so. 60°36′09″N 152°10′35″W / 60.60250°N 152.17639°W / 60.60250; -152.17639 Mount Redoubt (Alaska) Redoubt Volcano , or Mount Redoubt ( Dena'ina : Bentuggezh K’enulgheli ), is an active stratovolcano in the largely volcanic Aleutian Range of
1020-477: The spellings and applications of the names for use on maps and other publications of Federal agencies The board has developed principles, policies, and procedures governing the use of domestic and foreign geographic names, including underseas. The BGN also deals with names of geographical features in Antarctica via its Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names . The Geographic Names Information System , developed by
1054-457: The summit caused by pyroclastic flows and dome collapses caused lahars , or mudflows, which flowed down the north flank of the mountain. A majority of the mudflows coursed to Cook Inlet , about 22 miles (35 km) from the volcano. The lahars entered a nearby river, worrying officials that they might destroy an oil storage facility located along it. Since lahars were produced repeatedly, scientists realized that they could use these to analyze
Drift River Terminal Facility - Misplaced Pages Continue
1088-644: The use of the possessive apostrophe and has only granted an exception five times during its history, including one for Martha's Vineyard , Massachusetts. In federal mapping and names collection efforts, there is often a phase lag where a delay occurs in adoption of a locally used name. Sometimes the delay is several decades. Volunteers in the Earth Science Corps are used to assist the US Geological Survey in collecting names of geographic features. The BGN currently publishes names on its website. In
1122-460: Was estimated at $ 160 million, the second costliest volcanic eruption in United States history. On January 24, 2009, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit the region at a depth of 98 kilometers. The relation to the eruption is unknown, but was the strongest in the vicinity since 2001. On January 30, 2009, scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) warned that an eruption was imminent, sending experienced Alaskans shopping for protection against
1156-453: Was no more than a white thick cloud such as we have frequently seen on the Coast, for the most part appearing on the sides of hills and often extends along a whole range and at different times falls or rises, expands or contracts itself and has a resemblance to Clouds of white smoke. But this besides being too small for one of those clouds, remained as it were fixed in the same spot for the whole time
#518481