 OIL... ALASKA'S LIQUID GOLD |
OIL... ALASKA'S LIQUID GOLD |
November 14, 2009Arcticulates ®Focusing on Alaska's BeautyAuthor: K. Fields~~ Oil... Alaska's Liquid Gold? ~~There are several things in Alaska that are internationally known... Which are: the massive amount of land, that's magnified by it's pristine natural beauty and various rugged terrains, it's abundant varieties of wildlife, it's extreme weather, and also it's plentiful natural resources. Oil is one of Alaska's major natural resources, along with coal, gold, natural gas... etc... The famous Oil pipeline, built in 1977 and is one of the world's largest pipeline systems, snakes across 800 miles of Alaska's rugged terrain, and is the subject of many written articles, public news media fodder, and one of the most controversial subjects always brought up in most discussions pertaining to preserving the natural beauty that surrounds us.. Oil Pipeline Snaking across Alaska's Tundra
Now... whenever I think of a big pipe I picture a ugly rusty metal pipe. But this isn't what the oil pipe looks like... even after 32 years. Don't get me wrong, it is a metal pipe, but considering it's size, it really doesn't look bad at all.... Or maybe I am just used to seeing it all the time, so it is starting to blend in as part of the scenery to me. Oil Pipeline... Above and Underground
The Pipe itself is 4 foot in diameter, and 800 miles long. It starts in Prudhoe Bay, and ends in Valdez. Twisting and turning through every kind of rough and rugged terrain possible. It is mostly above ground and is 3.75 inches thick. The pipe that goes underground in some areas like across roads is 2-4 inches depending on the area. This Pipeline has transported more then 15 billion barrels of oil across Alaska with nary a problem, it has it's usual wear and tear upkeep, but considering it's length and the extreme temperatures and terrain, it has done remarkably well for a man-made oil transporter. Oil Pipeline Crossing Stream
In 1977 it cost around 8 billion dollars to build this pipeline, I can't even imagine how much it would cost to build a similar one now, or even if it would be built now, what with all the environment concerns and permits that would be required now which were not in existence 30 years ago. Along with the rugged and unpredictable terrain comes the rugged and unpredictable weather that Alaska is well known for, so the pipeline planners had to include ways around that, for instance each 40 ft. length of pipe expands .031 inches with each 10° F rise in temperature and contracts the same distance with each 10°F drop in temperature. Oil Pipeline Crossing Through the Mountains
Since I live in Alaska, I know about the ground shifting that practically comes with every season change, and our many earth tremors and quakes, so that ground movement also had to be configured in the plans on laying the pipeline. So the pipeline was built on above ground supports so that it can shift laterally, since it doesn't expand lengthwise which explains why the pipeline was built in zig-zags instead of straight lines. Another interesting aspect that the planners had to deal with is Permafrost. Permafrost is a unique phenomenon of living in extreme cold environments, it is any soil or rock that has been continually below 32 degrees for 2 years or more. The interesting thing about areas with permafrost is it can also cause this list of problems. Northern Lights over the Oil Pipeline
Excerpt from: Alyeska-pipe-- Pipeline facts The Largest Oil Pipe Bridge Across the Tanana River
Alaska's wildlife was also a concern that had to be dealt with so that the animals would not be harmed during the building and the years of use. At the time the pipeline was built there were 170 different bird species, 34 different fish species, and a huge variety of smaller animals like: fox, squirrels, coyote, wolf, beaver, wolverine, marten, ermine/weasel, etc. Lighted Areas Around Oil Pipeline Pumps
There is also the larger animals that live across the Alaska terrain that had to be accounted for like; Moose, Caribou Herds, Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Polar Bear, and Buffalo. On the main animal crossings that were discovered in the research of which there were approximately 579, it was required that the pipe be at least 10 feet off the ground, so that the larger animals wouldn't be hindered in any way from their normal meandering activities. 4 Foot Diameter Oil Pipeline Weaving Through the Mountains
The Alaska Oil Pipeline... sometimes referred to as Alaska's liquid gold transporter is an awesome feat built by some amazing engineers, scientists, biologists and zoologists . They really put a lot of work into the study of all the intricate details our beautiful State, and it's wildlife and vegetation, in order to build this oil pipeline that in over 30 years later... is still pumping crude oil across Alaska. My hat's off to them! Later...
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