Welding Wonders of the World: Trans Alaska Pipeline System

Thinking of Alaska brings images to mind of snow mountains and evergreens by the thousands, of wildlife in fluffy furs and a world of nothing but white, grey and blue. To some it may bring more industrial images such as the ever important oil. In previous blogs we've spoken about the Cloud Gate in Chicargo and the wonders of Disney's Spaceship Earth, the huge spherical structure attracting hundreds of onlookers every day. Now, we thought we'd take a look and the engineering master piece of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, aka Alyeska Pipeline. What Is the Alyeska Pipeline? After the 1973 oil crisis in the United States, oil prices soared, leaving many with dreams of a new oil age. The solution came in the form of the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company who had formed three years prior to the crisis with plans of designing, building, maintaining and operating an 800 mile long pipeline across the icy Alaskan wilderness. The pipeline was built to pump 2 million barrels of crude oil from North Slope oil fields to Valdez, Alaska. Plans for construction began immediately and between the years of 1974 and 1977 the Trans Alaska Pipeline System was underway. How Was the Trans Alaska Pipeline System Built? Construction workers faced their first problem almost immediately in the form of permafrost. The freezing temperatures of the Alaskan wilderness rendered the earth virtually impossible to dig and, even if the pipeline was able to be fitted underground, it would freeze and so would the oil inside. The idea came to construct the pipeline above ground, working around the contours of the land in a long, snaking construction of engineering wonder. Welders from Oklahoma transferred to the desolate wilderness for their specialities in welding 'big builds' and, being a construction of 48 inches in width and stretching over the treacherous Alaskan plains, the pipeline was definitely a big build. Thousands of welders worked on the pipeline in freezing and sometimes dangerous conditions ensuring the pipeline was welded securely. Many during those three years lost their lives through cold and accidents at the work site; through this tragedy, however, the pipeline's finished result is something to marvel at. Over 800 miles long, 48 inches wide in places, with 12 pump stations and a new tanker port, the Trans Alaska Pipeline System is one of the few welding marvels of the world and successfully shows off the skill of welding. As quality welding gas suppliers, feats of the craft fascinate us to no end. So far we've covered three very impressing welding constructions, boasting the beauty and efficiency of welding in the industry. If you'd like to find out more welding wonders, stay tuned! If you're looking to purchase quality gas and supplies for your welding wonder, don't hesitate to contact us today on 0800 195 4445.

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