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- Oil in Alaska
- Where is it?
- What is it like?
- Description of development
- Problems
- Impact - Prudhoe Bay
- What might the examiner ask?
- What is it like?
The Prudhoe Bay Oilfield is on Alaska's northern (Arctic) coastline.
People
Climate
Vegetation/Permafrost
The sea is frozen for most of the year due to low temperatures. Even when it is not completely frozen there are many icebergs.
Provides 750 000 jobs across America.
In winter the area has 24 hours of darkness, low temperatures. Average in January is -15 °C. Even in July it's below 10°C.
The soil is permafrost. This means the soil is permanently frozen to a depth of several metres. In summer when the surface layer thaws the melt water cannot drain away. Therefore the surface is very boggy and unstable.
| Cold might freeze the oil and stop it flowing | Heat oil to 80°c before it enters the pipeline |
| The mountains in the south are in an arctic earthquake zone | Make pipeline flexible to move with the earth |
| Construction work could destroy the frozen tundra | Strict rules for construction teams - rewards if they do well |
| Pipeline may block the Caribou migration | Build stilts 3 metres high |
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
So what?
Oil tanker - Exxon Valdez ran aground on rocks.
The Alaska coast, near Valdez
March 1989
The tanker was 50 km off course
Total of 12 million gallons of crude oil were spilt damaging large areas of the land and marine ecosystem of Alaska.
It contaminated 1900 km of coastline. The local wildlife and fishing industry was devastated.
The clean up operation cost $1 Billion
Paper 1 (Multi Choice)
Paper 2
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