Frequently asked questions about TAPS：
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Who owns Alaska pipeline system?
The owner is Alaska Pipeline Service Company, it also has partners like BP, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, Chevron Corporation. -
How much of the Alaska pipeline is above ground?
Except for segments of pigs, 700 kms of pipeline were built above ground. -
How long did it take to build and why build it?
The TAPS project begins at 1974 and finished at 1977, major event-oil crisis in 1973 rised oil price in US to a unbearable level, at that time all disagreement in this project was removed naturally, including legal challenges. -
What is the purpose of Trans-alaska pipeline system?
TAPS is the largest pipeline system in North America, it is also named Alaska pipeline, Trans-Alaska pipeline or Alyeska pipeline, it transfers crude oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez which is 800 miles away. For example, 16 billion barrels of oil was conveyed by this pipeline in 2010. -
What is trans Alaska pipeline made of?
Main parts of Alaska pipeline are steel pipe and gate valves, to finish this project, more than 100000 pieces of oil and gas line pipe for TAPS was imported from Japan, with the total weight of 550000 tons.
Pipeline diameters:(length 40-60 feet, wall thickness: 0.462 inches for 466 miles; 0.562 inches for 334 miles). Main technical requirements: axial force(2.52 million pounds); lateral deflection force (459,000 pounds before wrinkling).
Need to find steel pipe supplier for pipeline project, check out the following products(API 5L pipe line pipe, API 5CT casing pipe, Pipe fittings):
What is used to keep the trans-alaska pipeline from melting permafrost?
- For temperature in Alaska can change from -60°C to 35°C , pipeline pipe which is made of steel material would expand or shrink due to the temperature change, engineers invented a method called zig-zag configuration-relieve the contraction and expansion force at the bends, which would use pipe fittings.
- For oil conveyed in the line pipe is hot, it would melt the frozen icy soil if line pipes are buried under ground, and as to the effect of earth pressure and temperature gap in and out, oil line pipe would sag, move and cause damage to pipeline, final disaster is oil spill, so it was build above ground on a support structurer consisted of 2 pipes and a radiator, inside of the pipes are filled with liquid ammonia which can lead the heat to radiator so as to keep the soil temperature down.
