Olympic Pipeline leak threatens SEA jet fuel supply during holiday rush
Nov 24, 2025, 1:14 PM
The Olympic Pipeline that supplies jet fuel to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) suffered a leak on Nov. 17, prompting concerns about fuel for several airlines, and has yet to be resolved more than a week later.
The leak was discovered during routine maintenance on the 16-inch pipeline between Everett and Snohomish. Early morning on Nov. 16, crews performed a leak test. Everything seemed to be working, so they turned the pipeline back on, only to find it leaking again the following day, which forced them to shut the pipeline down once more.
KIRO Newsradio reporter Luke Duecy provided an update on the situation in Everett, noting that many cross-country flights may have to make irregular stops to refuel en route to their destinations over the holidays.
“On longer cross-country flights, both Alaska and Delta say that they may need to land and get more fuel somewhere along the way, during the busiest travel holiday of the year. Alaska said it’s already happened on 10 flights so far,” Duecy said on “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. “All because of that BP pipeline that’s leaking somewhere near a blueberry field in Snohomish County. They don’t know where it is yet.”
The Olympic Pipeline is a 400-mile pipeline system running from Whatcom County to Portland. The Olympic Pipeline transports refined petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, to terminal sites in Seattle, SeaTac, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Portland. The pipeline is operated by BP Pipelines.
Governor Bob Ferguson issued a state of emergency on Thursday to ensure adequate jet fuel is delivered to SEA. The order temporarily waives and suspends state regulations limiting the number of hours commercial vehicle operators can drive when transporting jet fuel.
“BP is now digging in at least two spots to find the leak, and they’ve been trucking jet fuel down to SeaTac. In the meantime, Alaska says they don’t expect any delays or cancellations during Thanksgiving, that’s great news,” Duecy said. “Senator Maria Cantwell asked BP for answers on the cause of the leak. So far, there is no answer, and because they’re still trying to find the leak, there is no timeline for when it could be repaired.”
Pipeline operators are currently working with state and federal agencies to dig up the pipe, contain the leak, and repair it. There is no clear picture about how much fuel has leaked, as of this reporting.
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
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