What It Cost To Build
As one can imagine, the cost for this marvel of engineering was quite significant. The total price tag includes such items as the $2.2 Million for the archaeological survey and the $1.4 Billion for the Valdez terminal. Also included are the pump stations, 13 bridges, 225 access roads, the three “pig” launching/receiving facilities, over 100,000 lengths of 40 ft. pipe, 14 temporary airfields, and the some 70,000 salaries for the total number of employees over the life of the construction project.
The approximate cost as of 1997 to build the Alaskan Pipeline was $8 Billion (does not include interest and post-1997 construction)
Don’t Melt The Permafrost
One of the most significant innovations built into the system are heat exchangers. Since the temperature of the oil flowing through the pipe can reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat could be transferred from the pipe through the specially designed supports and could melt the permafrost. This would cause the pipeline to sink into the melted permafrost causing catastrophic damage and spillage. To prevent this scenario, heat exchangers were placed on top of the pipes. The heat is transferred from the base through pipes containing ammonia to the heat exchangers which are then is cooled by convection to the surrounding air.
Monitoring The Pipeline For Spills
Monitoring of the pipeline is accomplished by several methods. Aerial surveillance is performed several times a day, a task that can take two hours or more. Another is by sending inspection gauges, called “pigs” through the line on a regular basis which can relay radar scans and fluid measurements back to the launching facility as they travel within the line.
Although impervious to gunshots and despite the many safeguards in place, the steel pipeline is vulnerable to forest fires and terrorist attacks, domestic or otherwise. One such case in 1978 resulted in a loss of 16,000 barrels from an explosive device planted at the pipeline outside Fairbanks. Nevertheless, losses from the pipeline do occur from time to time, 1991 to 1994 being the worse when there were 164 minor spills.
Total Production
The total production since June 1977 is reported to be well in excess of 500 Billion barrels. (One barrel = 42 gallons). Although the best production year was 1988 when 744,107,855 barrels of crude was shipped, since then the yearly yield has steadily declined to a low of only 270,161,990 barrels in 2007. Nevertheless, the importance of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline cannot be overstated. With nearly 40 million gallons of crude flowing through its line each day, and with more still hidden under ground, the United States can look to Alaska to provide this necessary commodity in the future.
