Performance of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in the November 3, 2002 Denali Fault Earthquake

Abstract

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that occurred in south-central Alaska on November 3, 2002 ruptured a 336-km long segment of the Denali Fault. The epicenter was located about 88 km west of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and the rupture propagated to the east across the pipeline right-of-way. The above-ground segments of the pipeline were subjected to violent near-fault ground shaking approaching or exceeding design criteria, and liquefaction was observed at a number of locations along the pipeline, including a remote gate valve location. The performance of the pipeline was in line with original project design requirements, and there was no oil leakage. The paper presents a high-level overview of the seismic design of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, performance of the pipeline system during the magnitude 7.9 event, and a brief commentary on post-event emergency response.