T+Martin


 * 1) The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System was made to move oil from the North
 * 2) Slope of Alaska to the northern most ice-free port in Valdez, Alaska.
 * 3) Length: 800 miles.
 * 4) Diameter: 48 inches.
 * 5) Crosses three mountain ranges and more than 30 major rivers and streams.
 * 6) Cost to build: $8 billion in 1977, largest privately funded construction project at that time.
 * 7) Construction began March 27, 1975 and was completed May 31, 1977.
 * 8) First oil moved through the pipeline on June 20, 1977.
 * 9) More than 16 billion barrels have moved through TAPS.
 * 10) First tanker to carry crude oil from Valdez: ARCO Juneau, August 1, 1977.
 * 11) Tankers loaded at Valdez: 19,625 through April 30, 2008.
 * 12) The mission of Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System is to safely escort tankers through Prince William Sound.
 * 13) There have been seven oil spills in the duration of the pipelines existence
 * 14) The Oil Spill Response Exercise Program (OSREP) was developed to establish a workable exercise program in case of oil spill
 * 15) A problem that was encountered during the building was the ground
 * 16) Any rock or soil material that has remained below 32° F continuously for two or more years
 * 17) Cold permafrost Remains below 30° F, and which may be as low as 10° F
 * 18) Ice-rich 20% to 50% visible ice.
 * 19) Thaw-stable- Permafrost in bedrock, in well drained, coarse-grained sediments such as glacial outwash gravel
 * 20) Thaw-unstable -poorly drained, fine grained soils, especially silts and clays.
 * 21) Warm permafrost -Remains just below 32° F. The addition of very little additional heat may induce thawing
 * 22) Approximately 75% of the line passes through permafrost terrain.
 * 23) There are programs that are set up to protect the wildlife
 * 24) All activities that could negatively impact fish and wildlife
 * 25) By state law, no one is allowed to impede a fish’s easy travel through a stream channel.
 * 26) The trans-Alaska pipeline traverses approximately 800 water bodies
 * 27) How can the streams be impacted by Alyeska’s operations?”
 * 28) The banks of intersecting streams can slough into a stream channel.
 * 29) Alyeska does not tolerate any preventable interactions with wildlife caused by its employees
 * 30) Birds nests are moved when at least one parent is watching the relocation.
 * 31) Pipeline animal crossings, constructed 579 approx.
 * 32) Bird species, number identified along route more than 170
 * 33) Trained Alyeska personnel have the legal authorization to move nests

Taylor, John B. "What to Do in Case of a Pipeline-Related Emergency." //Welcome to the New Alyeska Pipeline Web Site!// Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, June-July 2008. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. [].


 * 1) Three major oil companies and authorities in Alaska are discussing a $40 billion pipeline
 * 2) Alaska’s North Slope has proven reserves equal to about one-eighth of total U.S. reserves, but without a pipeline the gas is worthless
 * BP, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips hope to reach an agreement with Alaska
 * 1) It is an enormous project that could strengthen Alaska’s energy-based economy for decades to come
 * 2) according to some estimates, supplying 7 percent of the nation’s natural gas annually
 * 3) the three biggest companies have been trying to buy the land where oil is located
 * 4) there have been long criticized negotiations
 * 5) tax breaks would have benefited the energy companies
 * 6) that's one of the main reasons that Ms Palin was voted into office because she promised to get the pipeline up
 * 7) new plan, however, would delay a formal agreement until next year at the earliest
 * 8) under new government management there are plans to develop new sources of energy.
 * 9) This project is so much bigger than Alaska and Alaska’s interests,” Ms. Palin said.
 * 10) This is to supply domestically safe sources of fuel.
 * 11) It makes sense economically,” Mr. Rinehart said. “It makes sense for the life of this oil field."
 * 12) people debate that we are giving to much power to several companies.
 * 13) presidents can't do much to lower gas prices
 * 14) Sixty-five percent of Americans tell pollsters they disapprove of the presidents handling of gas prices.
 * 15) The prices are expected to go even higher as the summer driving season arrive
 * 16) President Obama may be not be reelected if people don't think the gas prices will change
 * 17) people will not appreciate paying $5 per gallon or more to drive to work
 * 18) the amount of people riding the trains may go up if the gas prices do
 * 19) Presidents are always blamed for the current crisis,
 * 20) other places are being probed for new oil to try and find a middle ground for the protesters
 * 21) this is one of the most common issue that faces the people in the white house
 * 22) people are looking at ways to replace gasoline
 * 23) drilling alone will not satisfy our domestic needs
 * 24) the president is making a policy called the "all above plan" which will find better ways to cut down on the high use of fuel.
 * 25) there are huge reserves in the High Plains, in Alaska, off both coasts and in the Rocky Mountains.
 * 26) if we were to go with this approach we can help drive down oil prices in the short term.
 * 27) President Obama has pinned almost his entire re-election hopes on an economic rebuild

O'Connell, Ford C., and The Opinions Expressed in This Commentary Are Solely Those of Ford C. O'Connell. "Are Gas Prices Obama's Achilles' Heel?" //CNN//. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. [].


 * 1) Trans Alaska Pipeline System was designed and made to move oil from the North Slope of Alaska to the northern most ice-free port in Valdez, Alaska.
 * 2) Length: 800 miles.
 * 3) Diameter: 48 inches.
 * 4) Crosses three mountain ranges and more than 30 major rivers and streams.
 * 5) Cost to build: $8 billion in 1977, largest privately funded construction project at that time.
 * 6) Construction began March 27, 1975 and was completed May 31, 1977.
 * 7) First oil moved through the pipeline on June 20, 1977.
 * 8) More than 16 billion barrels have moved through TAPS.
 * 9) 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal
 * 10) first tanker to carry crude oil from Valdez in August 1, 1977.
 * 11) TAPS is one of the world's largest pipeline systems. It is commonly called the Alaska pipeline
 * 12) The crude oil pipeline is privately owned by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.
 * 13) The pipeline was built between 1974 and 1977 after the 1973 oil crisis caused a sharp rise in oil prices in the United States
 * 14) the oil crisis started the the high demand to find oil
 * 15) building the pipeline had to address a wide range of difficulties
 * 16) stemming mainly from the extreme cold and the difficult, isolated terrain
 * 17) The project attracted tens of thousands of workers to Alaska
 * 18) problems with construction of the pipeline came from two sources: Alaska Native groups and conservationists
 * 19) Alaska Natives were upset that the pipeline would cross the land traditionally claimed by a variety of native groups
 * 20) Conservationists were angry at what they saw as an incursion into America's last wilderness
 * 21) reasons against the project included...its effect on the Alaska tundra, possible pollution, harm to animals, and geographic features,
 * 22) the biggest problem with building the pipeline was discussing the pipeline's impact on caribou herds
 * 23) the pipeline would block traditional migration routes, making caribou populations smaller and making them easier to hunt.
 * 24) land had been set aside for the natives and the herds migration patterns have been altered
 * 25) the industry went under legal issues for not following all terms of the mining contract
 * 26) the case was taken to the supreme court but they refuse to hear the case
 * 27) the oil production cost have gone up from the 1975 and then started to decrease at 1978

West, Derrin B. "Alaska-Pipeline." //Photo Galleries//. 3 June 2010. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. 


 * 1) pipelines have many bad effects on the surrounding environment.
 * 2) The piping runs through many natural biomes, ruins natural habitats for many animal species.
 * 3) there is always the possibility of an oil leak or spill
 * 4) Environmental effects of Alaska pipeline construction range from low to high
 * 5) a big concern is the amount of power that the companies will have
 * 6) July 30, 2010, the Alaska Pipeline Project completed and received multiple bids from potential shippers.
 * 7) there is a huge amount of money put into the project and also a huge amount of risk
 * 8) commitments of 20 years or more and for billions of dollars are needed to secure the financing the project
 * 9) this job could cost as much as $32-$41 billion to build.
 * 10) the project has engaged in confidential negotiations with potential shippers to resolve bid condition
 * 11) the end goal of turning those bids into shipping commitments called precedent
 * 12) Precedent agreements are an essential step in the pipeline development
 * 13) the government is also making sure that rules are set will make sure that the oil is helping the people of the community
 * 14) Local energy providers will have the opportunity to access natural gas from these local take-off points to meet community needs.
 * 15) Do you want to see if oil is contaminating our environment
 * 16) it will make jobs, business opportunities,
 * 17) it will develop government revenues and long-term stable supplies of natural gas
 * 18) The project is designed to connect Alaska's vast North Slope natural gas resources to new markets
 * 19) ment to deliver a reliable and secure source of clean energy for decades to come
 * 20) The project will provide numerous benefits to Alaska, and the broader U.S. and Canada
 * 21) Trans Canada and Exxon Mobil began working together in 2009 to develop the Alaska Pipeline Project
 * 22) the people of Alaska are more concerned that the environmental risk are more costly then the profit
 * 23) there are alternative plans if the oil pipeline doesn't work
 * 24) the choice on if the pipe line will work or not is going to be determined by 2016 but the deadline is 2019
 * 25) The markets are focused on the potential of Alaskan LNG entering the global mix
 * 26) Any of these outcomes equal revenue and jobs - Good things for Alaska.
 * 27) Alaska's in-state gas needs and identifying potential locations for local distribution points off the main pipeline,called off-takes.
 * 28) local off-takes will also be available along the pipeline route in Canada.
 * 29) At least five of these local natural gas off-takes will be provided in Alaska under both the Alberta and Valdez
 * 30) buying forgien oil cost america over $1.3 Billion every day

Mark, Ellen J. "The Alaska Pipeline: Good or Bad for the Environment?" //Society Articles//. 12 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. [].


 * 1) this project is not only a multimillion dollar project but also a multi-state project
 * 2) there are numerous agencies with the same goal but different ways of getting it
 * 3) each company is trying to get more money then the others while making it all seem fair
 * 4) The Project proposes to construct a new natural gas pipeline system extending over one of two alternative routes
 * 5) U.S. portion of the project, is being handled by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
 * 6) In Canada, the permitting process runs through the Northern Pipeline Agency
 * 7) the process is making huge steps forward in the permit process
 * 8) The Alaska Pipeline Project is actively working to file major permit applications with U.S. and Canadian regulatory agencies in 2012
 * 9) The project is working closely with regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Canada.
 * 10) The project collected extensive data during its 2010 and 2011 field programs
 * 11) The project has also been conducting a number of technical and engineering studies to refine plans for project design and construction
 * 12) The Alaska Pipeline Project has designed the new pipes to meet or exceed industry and government standards for pipeline safety to protect the public
 * 13) The project expects to perform over a quarter million welds during construction
 * 14) the strength and toughness of those welds will be critical to ensuring the pipeline's durability for years
 * 15) they are running test to help predict real life accidents
 * 16) During the welding tests, variables such as the speed of the weld, the temperature of the pipe and the voltage are evaluated.
 * 17) All of the pipe sections from these tests will be X-rayed to assess the strength and toughness of the individual welds
 * 18) The project is also conducting a series of full-scale testing of project pipe
 * 19) the weather is also a huge factor because this pipe line is going to be stretching over thousand of miles and the temperture changes
 * 20) In 2004, the U.S. Congress passed the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act
 * 21) this act was made to advance the development of a pipeline to transport Alaska's natural gas to the North American market
 * 22) the project is in a way trying to make a good impression on the people with as little conflict as possible
 * 23) there have been over a hundred community meetings to answer any questions
 * 24) there haven't really been enough protest against the pipeline so things are moving along quickly
 * 25) the Alaska Pipeline Project is supporting many important organizations and events in Alaska and Canada
 * 26) the reason that the project has taken so long to develop is because of the amount of planning that is needed.
 * 27) the government might try to stone wall the process soon though
 * 28) the government has been trying for years to push to a more environmental friendly economy.
 * 29) the increase in gas prices are to blame as they try to push people to buy more fuel efficient cars
 * 30) even though the oil is in one state the product will be distributed throughout the U.S.A

What's New." //Alaska Pipeline Project//. Jeffery B Smith, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. [|http://thealaskapipelineproject.com/hom]