Alaska. This one single word stirs up images of wide open spaces and Eskimos in igloos. It also makes us feel insignificant and small. If these thoughts never were to come to your mind, then there is one thing that usually everybody will think, and that one thing is cold. Alaska is filled with the harshest winters found anywhere in the U.S., and that is what makes this state unique; but can you imagine having to build a 798 mile pipeline when it is -80 degrees below zero? Most people can't even comprehend the thought of this type of cold. It's the type of cold that can make your throat freeze instantly if you take a fast breath. The cold that will make metal shatter like glass. It's the cold that kills. In this essay I will tell you about the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. I will explain the history of oil in Alaska, the complications of building the pipeline, and construction.

The first oil seeps were founded by the Eskimos of Alaska around Cape Simpson and on Barter Island. They would cut blocks of the tundra that was soaked with oil, and would use it as fuel. After many men came and purged Alaska of its gold, many men stayed and tried to make a living any way that they could. The first oil claims were established at about 1896. It wasn't until 1898 that the first drillings took place. Many drillings were made, and the oil rush had started. A refinery was built and 10,000 people came to work. This oil craze would change the state forever. Oil was eventually found in Prudhoe Bay, which is at the top of the state, and it had a reserve of 1.3 billion barrels of oil. It was an amazing find, a find that began construction of the largest privately owned construction effort in history.

Once the oil was found, the company had many complications and problems they would have to fix before they were going to be able to get the oil to the Lower 48 States. The first question was how the oil was going to get transported from Prudhoe Bay. They first thought that they could send tankers around Alaska to Prudhoe Bay to retrieve the oil. It was too dangerous. The tankers risked being sunken and sending oil into the precious ocean. The only way to get the oil from the bay was by a pipeline. Thus, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was born. The Pipeline would travel 798 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, which was in the southern part of Alaska. The next step was the design of the pipeline. They couldn't bury the pipeline in the ground, because the hot oil would melt the surrounding permafrost and create a bad footing for the pipe. This would lead to disaster, as the pipes would crack and create a soggy mess. They decided to raise it off the ground. They would have to bury it in some areas to allow animals to pass, and they would have to raise it the pipe high enough to allow the Caribou herds to travel unhindered across the Alaskan tundra. After months of planning, testing, environmentalist attacks, and many other problems, the pipeline was allowed to start building on November 16, 1973. The pipeline was ready for construction.

Construction began. The pipeline had many, many different parts of construction. They had to put check valves, build bridges, install coolers on the beams, and they had to hire thousands of people. The pipe was built of about 65,000 lbs per square inch steel, and it was protected for corrosion. They built small towns for the workers which included everything a town needed to run properly, including doctors and restaurants. One of the largest problems with construction, was how they were going to cross the mighty Yukon River. They decided to build a 2,300ft. Bridge to span the river. It would carry motor traffic, and the pipeline would be attached to the side of the bridge. It was an amazing feat. The pipeline ended up crossing mountains, rivers, and roads. On June 20, 1977, the first of the oil was sent to Valdez. They had done it. They built the amazing Alaska Pipeline for a gigantic $8 Billion. Alaska was now reaping the rewards for having the largest reserve of oil in America.

In this essay I have explained the history of oil in Alaska, the problems that the pipeline faced in the beginning, and construction of the great Trans-Alaska Pipeline. It was a marvelous feat for the 60,000 men and women who spent years constructing the pipeline. They accomplished something that nobody thought could ever be done. The pipeline still is in working order today, as a monument of how man can accomplish almost anything by working together. I believe that the pipeline, in the end, has helped the economy of Alaska. Even though some said that it would hurt the environment, I believe that the pipeline company took very good care of the fragile ecosystem. I know that if we can all work together as the human race, we can accomplish great things, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a testament of this.