The North Slope village of Wainwright has run out of gasoline after a delivery disruption last week, officials with the local Native corporation said. An emergency fuel delivery was expected by late Thursday.
A number of Wainwright residents, including Michael Agnasagga, have posted on social media that the shortage was preventing them from hunting during the peak season.
“None of us can go hunt,” Agnasagga said in a message. “Caribou, fishing and berry picking is at its prime. What a time to have no gasoline to go and venture the land.”
The Olgoonik Corporation manages the Wainwright fuel station under a North Slope Borough contract. The corporation’s president of Alaska operations, Jill Rogers, said in an email that fuel at the pump might have gotten contaminated early last week during a transfer from the barge. She said the fuel station employees stopped the transfer, following safety protocols.
The Wainwright fuel station has a large bulk tank that’s separate from a smaller day tank connected to the pumps. But on Monday, corporation officials said in a Facebook post that the day tank was empty.
“Residents were unable to get unleaded fuel at the pump, with just a small reserve set aside to continue essential services,” Rogers said.
Rogers said residents still had heating fuel for homes and businesses, as well as diesel for trucks.
She said the corporation staff have been working to test the fuel in the bulk tank and come up with a plan to address the possible contamination before resuming the refill.
Corporation staff said in a Facebook post that after the North Slope Borough fills the day tank with its emergency delivery, the price per gallon will remain the same.
