A Fit of Leak

Another BP pipeline leaks in Alaska

Hot on the heels of last month's big oil spill, British petro-giant -- sorry, beyond-petro giant -- BP has confirmed that another pipeline ruptured on Alaska's North Slope on April 6, leaking 12,000 cubic feet of natural gas. The leak occurred at the same Prudhoe Bay oilfield as last month's 200,000-gallon oil spill, but was small enough that BP was not required to report it. "We are at the point where there is so much damage to the lines from corrosion, we don't know where another leak will occur," said a BP employee. The company is under criminal investigation for its pipeline management. Meanwhile, inspired by the oil industry's impeccable quality control, Alaska lawmakers are mulling over tax-break legislation that would pave the way for BP, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil to embark upon the largest construction project in U.S. history: a $25 billion natural-gas pipeline from the North Slope through Canada to the U.S. Midwest.