Cold snap causes fuel to run low in Noatak, Kobuk

January 13th 2:06 am | Hannah Heimbuch    

Access to fuel has created some of Alaska's most interesting headlines this winter, especially as the Russian ship Renda broke through pack ice on a unique voyage to Nome this week. But Nome isn't the only Northwest community having to get creative in the way of fuel supply.

Cold temperatures this winter have placed a double whammy for fuel supply on villages like Noatak and Kobuk. The low temps have caused residents to burn through more fuel, at the same time deliveries are canceled or delayed due to weather. Many use wood heat to supplement fuel heat, but low reserves for both have people looking elsewhere for help.

Noatak resident Robert Kirk is among the many residents scrambling to heat his home this winter.

"Normally we get regular fuel supplies delivered, but the storms throughout December put our village on a waiting list, because most of Alaska was hit simultaneously," he said. And there's really no predicting future deliveries.

"Based on weather conditions and plane availability, we don't have a certain date to receive fuel," he said. "Basically all the stars have to align, and its really no ones fault."

Even now that deliveries have started to come in, Kirk said, the frigid conditions are making it difficult to catch up, so they've turned to Red Dog for assistance.

The mine began supplying neighboring communities like Noatak and Kivalina with fuel during tight times in 2009, as part of the regional fuel program.

Wayne Hall, Manager of Community and Public Relations for Teck, said residents pre-purchase fuel at Red Dog's cost - this year $4.35 per gallon for heating fuel and $4.89 for gas - then drive to a meeting point on the mine's haul road to fill barrels and tanks. These scheduled fuel-ups continue every three weeks until breakup weather around the beginning of May makes the snowmachine journey unsafe.

As temperatures dipped down to negative 47 last weekend, Kirk and a number of his neighbors formed a convoy to travel the 23 miles to the meet-up point.

"The fog made the trip even more demanding, reducing visibility to near zero at times. This caused people to bunch up and travel together for safety," Kirk said.

The group was split up, however, when the Red Dog fuel truck's pump broke a shaft, leaving several people to wait for their fuel late into the evening. Kirk said he and the others that made it back into Noatak earlier spent several hours by their radios, making sure the rest of the group made it home in the still-dropping night temperatures.

"This is an excellent example where Teck, the local Noatak government, and the community put their heads together to come up with a solution that hopefully offsets some of the high costs of fuel and helps meet some of the needs of the residents," Hall said.

Kirk said he will continue to make this journey every three weeks, as it saves him money on fuel even accounting for the travel costs.

"It is really great to have the option to get fuel from the mine, especially when there are no other guarantees to receive fuel regularly," he said.

Cold temps in Kobuk have caused similar problems, as deliveries by air were canceled due to the bitter cold.

Kobuk tapped into a city reserve tank this week, typically used to heat city buildings and the water plant, as the airport manager attempts to clear enough snow for a fuel delivery plane.

People also continue to turn to wood heat to help, but as tank levels lower and woodpiles grow smaller, alternative fuel solutions remain a top priority in rural Alaska.

 

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