European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 28, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Doily Magazine a Jim Mimi Mobil a Mcmil i is Here comes that North. Slope by John p. Sims United press International o North slope Oil starts 800-mile journey to port at Alyeska pump station  is inching through the trans Alaska pipeline nine years alter it was discovered under the Frozen Tundra on the roof of the  will Start shipping the Oil out of Valdez. At the Southern end of the pipeline at the end of August or Early september. Within a year up to two million barrels of Oil a Day will flow Down the 800-mile pipeline from Alaska s North slope on its Way to Market the lower 48 states. North slope Oil development together with the trans Alaska pipeline will con tribute More to reduce . Dependence on foreign Oil than any other action taken in this  said a spokesman for Exxon which owns 20 per cent of the pipeline. . Domestic demand for crude Oil currently averages about 19 million barrels a Day. Of which nearly 9 million barrels is imported. Oil experts say Alaska s Oil will not automatically reduce Reliance on imports but it will reduce the rate at which imparts increase Over the coming years. It is tempting to compare the building of the trans Alaska pipeline with a giant project like the building of Egypt s pyramids. In fact the problems it posed were More like those that would be encountered by a construction project on the  men who built the pipeline were often charting unknown territory. They had to build their own Access roads their own housing. Aircraft brought their sup plies and equipment. The same aircraft took away the wastes generated by the construction Job. The builders operated in temperatures ranging from 90 degrees fahrenheit to 80 degrees below Zero where exposed human skin would freeze solid in 30  through it All they tried to leave the environment As they found  pipeline snakes southward from the Prudhoe Bay Field through the Brooks Range of mountains across the Yukon on the first Bridge Ever built across the River Down through the Mckinley Range of mountains and on to the sea at Valdez. On a map. The pipeline looks like a continuous ribbon smoothly flowing from North to South. On the ground the pipeline zigzags rises and Falls like a tortured  its highest Point it reaches 4,700 feet above sea level. At its lowest it Burrows a dozen feet  the Early Days the flow of Oil will be at the rate of 600,000 barrels a Day. By no vember the rate will double to 1.2 million barrels a Day. The ultimate capacity of the pipeline will be 2 million barrels a  1.2 million barrels a Day will constitute about 13 per cent of America s total crude Oil production in 1978.the pipeline the largest single privately financed project in . History was de signed built and will be operated by the Alyeska pipeline service co. Probably the most striking fact about the pipeline is that Oil is flowing through it a Bare nine years after the Oil itself was discovered on the North slope according to the builder that could have been four Yean earlier but for Legal delays created by Environ mentalist opposition. In july 1968, test Wells drilled by Humble Oil and Atlantic Richfield around Prudhoe Bay confirmed the presence of marketable quantities of crude Oil Esti mated finally at More than 9.6 billion bar  months a formal proposal or the pipeline was submitted. The original Esti mated Cost was $900 million although continued on Page 14 c history a j Ere is a run Down of major farts about the trans Alaska pipeline pipeline length boo Miles approximately half below ground and half above ground Cost $7.7 billion All in private funds. Capacity 1.2 million barrels a Day Ini tial capacity could be increased with the addition of pumping stations and terminal facilities up to 2 million barrels a Day. Estimated North slope erode Oil recoverable Reserve 9.6 billion barrels. Valdez snip loading capacity 80,000 to 110.000 barrels an hour schedule cons Ructin started april 1974 first pipe in place. March 1975 last pipe in place december 1976 Oil began moving through pipeline june 20.1977. Pipe size 48 inches in diameter in lengths of 40 feet and 60 feet and thick Nesses of .462 Inch and .582 Inch. Length of Road constructed in 1374 160 Miles from Yukon River to Prudhoe Bay. Right of Way Width of pipeline 54 feet. Vertical supports almost 00,000 Verti Cal support members were used to elevate about half the pipeline above ground. A tuesday june 28, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 13