Trans-Alaska Pipeline

Alaska is one of the last frontiers of the North American wilderness, and humans have slowly left their mark across the land. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a marvel of human engineering as an oil transportation system that spans hundreds of miles. While the oil delivered by the pipeline is vital to sustaining the country, there is controversy around the system for its detrimental impact on the surrounding landscape.

Visiting the Trans-Alaska Pipeline

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline can be seen stretching across the Alaskan landscape, but you can also explore its fascinating history when visiting Fairbanks. From early-May through mid-September, the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. that owns and operates the pipeline offers free tours and presentations at the Fox visitor center north of Fairbanks.

About the Trans-Alaska Pipeline

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is one of the longest in the world, and it consists of hundreds of miles of feeder pipelines and 11 pump stations. Built, maintained, and privately owned by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company—made up of several oil companies—the pipeline connects the Prudhoe Bay oilfields with the port of Valdez on Prince William Sound.

History

Oil in Alaska’s backcountry has long been a vital natural resource, with the Iñupiat people using oil-saturated peat from Alaska’s North Slope for thousands of years. Whalers who first saw this peat used by Native people recognized it as petroleum. Oil was officially discovered in the North Slope in 1968, but it wasn’t until the 1973 oil crisis in the United States that exploration of the Prudhoe Bay oilfield became a reality.

Between the years of 1975-1977, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was built—but not without plenty of challenges from the harsh Alaska wilderness. The permafrost, extreme cold, and concerns over the effect on native wildlife all caused delays, although the construction attracted thousands of workers to the area—creating boomtowns out of Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Valdez.

Interesting Facts

The controversy between the necessity of the pipeline and the effect it has on Alaska’s pristine wilderness continues to this day. From the challenges of building the pipeline to the incredible engineering that went into it and the long-term effects from its existence, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a fascinating system that plays an important role in Alaska’s economy and conservation efforts.

• The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is one of the first construction projects that dealt with permafrost, and around half of the system is elevated above the land to prevent the oil from thawing the frozen ground.
• Impacts to wildlife were an important concern in the development of the pipeline, and elevated pipes, along with strategically buried sections, were designed to facilitate wildlife passing through the area.
• An average of 1.8 million barrels of oil travel through the pipeline every day, and pumping stations along the route keep it flowing at a steady 4 miles-per-hour to prevent freezing.
• The pipeline has been damaged over the years by system failures, sabotage, and bullet holes—causing several notable oil leakage events that have damaged the surrounding area.
• The pipeline crosses more than 800 rivers and streams, along with three mountain ranges, and it is built in a unique zig-zag pattern to allow for flexibility during earthquakes.
• The Prince William Sound was the site of the second-largest oil spill in the United States in 1989. The Exxon Valdez dumped nearly 11 million gallons of oil into the waters, damaging over 1,300 miles of coastline, as well as the surrounding ocean—ultimately killing hundreds of thousands of animals.

Points of Interest

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a true marvel of engineering, yet the effects that it has had on the Alaskan wilderness, ocean, and coastlines can’t be ignored. As one of the largest pipeline systems in the world, it represents a unique glimpse into mankind’s effect on nature, as well as the challenges that have been overcome in order to make use of the resources in this rugged terrain.