[link|http://www.adn.com/front/story/712078p-752606c.html|Criminal mischief indeed].

Excerpt:

Pipeline security discovered the spill about three miles south of Manley Hot Springs Road at 2:30 p.m. during a helicopter overflight, said Alyeska spokesman Tim Woolston.

Alyeska officials immediately shut down the 400-mile section of pipeline north of the spill area and asked North Slope producers to curb production. Meanwhile, they continued pumping oil to drain the pipe to the south.

Alyeska faces a daunting problem of how to control the spill. About 20,000 barrels of oil, about 840,000 gallons, is trapped in the leaking section of pipe, according to Alyeska. While the bullet hole is small, the oil is backed up on a valve. Pressure is high, and late Thursday night, oil spilled at a rate of 140 gallons per minute, Woolston said.

Alyeska could drain the oil around two nearby valves to relieve the pressure. Or workers could clamp the pipe. The first option is slow and may take several days. The second option has been tested but never used to control a real spill, said Alyeska president David Wight.

"This is a scenario we\ufffdve thought about. And we\ufffdve got equipment that will work," Wight said. But Wight was unsure whether Alyeska would use the clamp in the cold, wet night. Workers may wait until daylight. "Its a grave concern to get in there as quickly as we can. ... Safety is our first concern."