Workers by the tens of thousands headed north, hoping to make their fortunes working on the pipeline, in a stampede that dramatically affected alaska. Al grilloap graeme wearden published on mon 10 jan 2011 06. Jan 10, 2011 a group of motorcyclists ride past the trans alaska pipeline system, operated by bp photograph. Impacts on the natives, economy, workers, and the environment of alaska. The remaining 30% of trans mountains spills have occurred along the pipeline, with 20 incidents related to releases of crude oil from the pipeline. In the place where the trans alaska pipeline runs farthest from roads, quiet reigns. The trans alaska pipeline system was designed and constructed to move oil from the north slope of alaska to the northern most icefree port in valdez, alaska. The trans alaska pipeline system, or taps, was originally called the trans alaska pipeline project, and was a joint venture of atlantic pipe line company now conocophillips transportation alaska, inc. Jun 18, 2018 built from 19741977, the transalaska pipeline runs 800 miles from the states north slope to valdez and has since funneled close to 17 billion barrels of oil. Transalaska pipeline on supports aboveground the transalaska pipeline stretches from the northern settlement of prudhoe bay on the arctic ocean, across the brooks, alaska, and chugach mountain ranges, to port valdez on the states southern coast. Photos may be purchased and downloaded through this website by clicking on the photos or following the links to galleries. May 26, 2010 the trans alaska pipeline, partly owned by bp, shut down on tuesday after spilling several thousand barrels of crude oil into backup containers, drastically cutting supply down the main artery. The construction of the transalaska pipeline system included over 800 miles 1,300 km of oil pipeline, 12 pump stations, and a new tanker port.
Trans alaska pipeline shot by a drunk the trans alaska pipeline was shot by a drunk. A history third edition the largest by far of the fifty states, alaska is also the state of greatest mystery and diversity. The transalaska pipeline system taps, one of the largest pipelines in the world, celebrates its 40year operational anniversary. What are some good books about the history of alaska.
All the trans alaska oil pipeline photos on this site are available for licensing as stock photos for commercial use or for purchase as fine art display prints for your home and office decor. The transalaska pipeline system, completed in 1977 to carry north slope oil to the port ast valdez, has been recognized as a landmark of engineering. Crews clean up a pipeline break northeast of peace river, alta. The transalaska pipeline system taps is an oil transportation system spanning alaska, including the transalaska crudeoil pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the valdez marine terminal. The trans alaska pipeline system is protected by three separate leak. A basic 4x4 track, or service pad, follows the route of the transalaska pipeline and is used by alyeska pipeline service company to maintain its infrastructure. Betsy haines, alyeska pipelines vice president of risk and technical support, explains the. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. On the 800milelong trans alaska pipeline system itself, there was one incidence of a relatively small spill caused by corrosion, one significant spill when an. Jan 14, 2014 a historical view of the trans alaska pipeline with footage from the construction of the pipeline. Jun 19, 2017 the transalaska pipeline, in delivering over 17 billion barrels of oil in its 40year history, has had tremendous economic impacts on the 49th state. Alaska oil pipeline has safety and environmental risks.
This weeks oil spill from the transalaska pipeline totaled about 5,000 barrels, making it the thirdlargest spill ever from the 800mile. Buy 2010 cyber guide to the alaska pipeline, trans alaska pipeline system taps history, regulation, oil spill plans, natural gas transportation system, joint pipeline office two cdrom set on free shipping on qualified orders. Designing and building the trans alaska pipeline system presented unprecedented challenges. Taps is one of the worlds largest pipeline systems. Pipeline crews tackle huge oil spill caused by shooting. Leak is latest of alaskas pipeline woes some 500 spills a year occur in the prudhoe bay oil fields and along the 800mile, threedecadeold pipeline system. The trans alaska pipeline system, or taps, was originally called the trans alaska pipeline project, and was a joint venture of atlantic pipe line company now conocophillips transportation alaska. Workers struggled today to contain one of the largest spills in the 24year history of the transalaska pipeline, caused on thursday by a.
Caribou along the transalaska pipeline in the arctic, north slope, alaska. The trans alaska pipeline system was originally designed with 12 pump stations, though it was decided that only 11 were needed and a 12th was never built. Aug 09, 2006 leak is latest of alaska s pipeline woes some 500 spills a year occur in the prudhoe bay oil fields and along the 800mile, threedecadeold pipeline system. To accomplish this i created a list of 8 facts that i felt help provide a better understanding of the trans alaskan pipeline system. The transalaskan pipeline system taps, which transports oil from prudhoe bay to the gulf of alaska, had engineering in place so when the earthquake struck the denali fault in alaska in 2002, the pipeline didnt leak any oil nyman, johnson, and roach, 2003. This weeks oil spill from the transalaska pipeline totaled about 5,000 barrels, making it the thirdlargest spill ever from the 800mile pipeline. The first pipe of the transalaska pipeline system was laid on march 27, 1975. A historical view of the transalaska pipeline with footage from the construction of the pipeline. But in march, the largest leak in north slope production history as many as. The valdez terminal covers 1,000 acres and has facilities for crude oil metering, storage, transfer and loading. Oil first flowed through the 800mile, 48inch diameter of pipe on june 20, 1977.
Jun 25, 2012 for several years i worked on the trans alaska oil pipeline, first as a surveyor and later as a systems analyst. A group of motorcyclists ride past the transalaska pipeline system, operated by bp photograph. This book was the first source to show me both sides of the trans alaskan pipeline. Jun 24, 2017 the eightepisode podcast explores the trans alaska pipeline s 40year history, how the pipeline reshaped alaska s economy and asks if alaska will always be an oil state. This was the motto adopted by alyeskas first employees tens of thousands of men and women who teamed up to tackle the worlds largest privately funded construction project.
Of these spills, only nine exceeded the reporting threshold of 1. The alaska corporation commonly known as alyeska pipeline company was founded in 1970 to design, construct, operate and maintain a pipeline to transport oil from the fields on the north slope of alaska where oil was discovered in 1968 to an icefree deepwater port in valdez, ak. The 800milelong trans alaska pipeline system taps is one of the worlds largest pipeline systems, an engineering icon that was the biggest privately funded construction project when constructed in the 1970s. Oil was first discovered in prudhoe bay on the north slope in 1968. Oct 06, 2001 workers struggled today to contain one of the largest spills in the 24year history of the trans alaska pipeline, caused on thursday by a man who fired a bullet into the 4footwide structure.
Dermot cole shared the history of the pipeline and explained how it. In the place where the transalaska pipeline runs farthest from roads, quiet reigns. The transalaska pipeline, partly owned by bp, shut down on tuesday after spilling several thousand barrels of crude oil into backup containers, drastically cutting supply down the main artery. It is commonly called the alaska pipeline, transalaska pipeline. Transalaska pipeline pipeline, alaska, united states. Federal regulators say the 800mile pipeline is corroded and poses a severe public safety and environmental risk. The pipeline was built between march 1975 and june 1977, running from the north slope. By february 1969, the transalaska pipeline system announced plans to construct an 800mile pipeline stretching from prudhoe bay in. By 1959, unocal discovered a major natural gas field near the swanson river oilfield. The trans alaska pipeline system taps includes the trans alaska crudeoil pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the valdez marine terminal. The book is updated periodically and includes important dates and events from alyeskas history, facts about taps design, construction and operations, and timelines. Erica martinson on the 30th anniversary of the exxon valdez spill.
Pipeline history design construction they didnt know it couldnt be done. Bpowned alaska oil pipeline shut after spill reuters. Transalaska pipeline systems 40th anniversary center. Anchorage, alaska ap up to several thousand barrels of crude oil from the transalaska pipeline spilled tuesday into a massive tank and overflowed into a containment area, shutting down the 800mile line until the hazard is removed. Beginning in prudhoe bay on alaskas north slope, taps stretches through rugged and beautiful terrain to. Contolling costs and risks in construction of the trans alaska oil pipeline. The success of the pipeline came from its supporting structures. The transalaska pipeline system cross the ranges of the central arctic heard on the north slope and the nelchina herd in the copper river basin. The pipeline project involved some 70,000 workers from 1969 through 1977. It may not be well known or advertised, but a gravel path already traverses alaska from the arctic to the pacific ocean. The largest oil spill to occur on the tundra of alaskas north slope has.
Construction of the transalaska pipeline system wikipedia. The discovery of oil on alaska s north slope in 1968 spurred the creation of a safe and efficient way to bring those reserves to. This movie was produced by the national park service in the early 1980s for the purpose of. Before i begin talking about the impacts of the pipeline system, i felt it appropriate to first talk about the pipeline system itself.
The pipeline, which carries more than 15% of americas domestic oil production, is 800 miles long and runs from prudhoe bay in the arctic to the prince william sound port of valdez in the south. Documentary on building the transalaska pipeline system. Documentary on building the trans alaska pipeline system. Alyeska pipeline taps pipeline operations throughput. The trans alaska pipeline stretches from the northern settlement of prudhoe bay on the arctic ocean, across the brooks, alaska, and chugach mountain ranges, to port valdez on the states southern coast. Aside from the billions of dollars invested and thousands of jobs created from the pipelines construction and continued maintenance, the state of alaska now sources revenues from the pipeline. The oil fouled parts of 1,300 miles of coastline, killing marine life ranging from microscopic planktons to orcas. The transalaska pipeline system taps includes the transalaska crudeoil pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the valdez marine terminal.
Pipeline historydesignconstruction alyeska pipeline. Since then, over 17 billion barrels of oil have been transported from prudhoe bay on the frozen north slope to the northernmost icefree port in north america. Sep 29, 2016 this weeks oil spill from the trans alaska pipeline totaled about 5,000 barrels, making it the thirdlargest spill ever from the 800mile pipeline. Oct 03, 2011 on the 800milelong trans alaska pipeline system itself, there was one incidence of a relatively small spill caused by corrosion, one significant spill when an aboveground section of pipeline. Half of the 799mile pipeline is buried and half rests on supports aboveground, to avoid permafrost melting that can lead to structural and. Built from 19741977, the transalaska pipeline runs 800 miles from the states north slope to valdez and has since funneled close to 17 billion barrels of oil. Software package specifically designed for oil spill trajectory. At the time it the discovery of the prudhoe bay oil field was was the largest privately funded project ever announced in march.
The trans alaskan pipeline system 2327 words bartleby. When atlantic richfield and humble oil companies discovered the north slopes prudhoe bay field in 1968, the largest oilfield in north america inspired the industrys modern engineering marvel, the transalaska pipeline. The devastating impact of the alaska oil spill art davidson on. Alaskas transalaska pipeline transformed the states. The 800milelong steel pipe would cross mountain ranges, rivers and major earthquake fault lines. Transalaska pipeline spill toll 5,000 barrels anchorage. Half of the 799mile pipeline is buried and half rests on supports aboveground, to avoid permafrost. Trans alaska oil pipeline photos and information about its. May 27, 2015 before i begin talking about the impacts of the pipeline system, i felt it appropriate to first talk about the pipeline system itself. Transalaska pipeline shot by a drunk the transalaska pipeline was shot by a drunk. Large oil spill in alaska went undetected for days the new york.
Alaska contains 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the united states. A few weeks ago, in my controlling project costs and risks class at university of california san diego, we were assigned to write a short paper connecting a project with the class material. Transalaska pipeline, pipeline that connects the oil fields of prudhoe bay in northern alaska, u. Some 500 spills a year occur in the prudhoe bay oil fields and along the 800 mile.
Pipeline crews tackle huge oil spill caused by shooting the. Cons the transalaskan pipeline has had many negative impacts on alaska. At gold run creek, the transalaska pipeline is 9 miles from the nearest road as the crow flies. It is commonly alaska pipeline, trans alaska pipeline, or alyeska pipeline, or the pipeline as referred to in. Alaskas transalaska pipeline transformed the state.
With the avalanche of big money and new arrivals came new problems. Bp shuts alaska pipeline after leak bp the guardian. Contolling costs and risks in construction of the trans. This movie was produced by the national park service in. A history provides a full chronological survey of the regions and states history, including the precedentsetting alaska native claims settlement act of 1971, which compensated native americans for their losses. Originally taps, for trans alaska pipeline system initially trans alaska pipeline project, a joint venture of atlantic pipe line company now conocophillips transportation alaska, inc. The eightepisode podcast explores the transalaska pipelines 40year history, how the pipeline reshaped alaskas economy and asks if.
The transalaska pipeline stretches 420 miles across alaska from prudhoe bay to valdez, alaska. Built from 19741977, the transalaska pipeline runs 800 miles from the. In january, 1969, an oil spill occurred off the coast of santa barbara. Transalaska pipeline systems 40th anniversary center for.
Alaskas semifrozen permafrost prompted the engineering decision to build more than half the line above ground. The pipeline is often referred to as taps an acronym for the trans alaska pipeline system. In this section, the secondary negative impacts from the time of the construction of the pipeline to. At gold run creek, the trans alaska pipeline is 9 miles from the nearest road as the crow flies. Alyeska pipeline service company was established in 1970 to design, construct, operate and maintain the pipeline. Transalaska pipeline shot by a drunk earthly issues. The trans alaska pipeline system starts in prudhoe bay and stretches through rugged and beautiful terrain to valdez, the northernmost icefree point in america.
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