The 4284-gallon spill from the ConocoPhillips line on the Kuparuk field was caused by rare rust on the outside of the pipe beneath a layer of insulation, according to preliminary findings by the company and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
"It's definitely gotten our attention because it's a different type of corrosion. Is this an indicator of what's going on throughout the field, or not?" said Leslie Pearson, emergency preparation and response programme manager for the Department of Environmental Conservation.
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