Alaskan grit, determination and pride

Get your earbuds ready! Alaska Public Media's Alaska's Energy Desk is producing a podcast series called "Midnight Oil," which promises to "tell the story of the pipeline that changed everything for Alaska."

The Energy Desk team has traveled TAPS, learned about its past, present and future operations, and spoken to current and former Alyeska and TAPS workers for this project. The first episode of the series arrives on June 20, the 40th anniversary of TAPS operations; a promo for the series has already been posted.

Learn more and subscribe at the iTunes Podcasts app and on Alaska Energy Desk's Facebook page.

What does working on TAPS mean to you?
Roland: "I was fire chief at Elmendorf when Alyeska hired me but I didn't know anything about the pipeline. When I met my counterpart, we hit it off and he took me through the ropes. … We always looked forward to working together and we'd have family get-togethers on our weeks off. The guys at the pump stations became family."

Bill: "Having the benefit of understanding the support and value TAPS has provided to Alaska and elsewhere means a lot. TAPS benefits our country, this state, and a lot of people in different ways. For my family, in return for our service, Alyeska provides the opportunity to enjoy a prosperous and rewarding livelihood."

Melany: "I feel that my work, my role, has meaning and is valued."

Roland: "Alaska without the oil industry and TAPS, we'd be in a lot of trouble."

In 1960, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) established its annual Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Project award. The honor would recognize a "project that best illustrates superior civil engineering skills and represents a significant contribution to civil engineering progress and society. Honoring the overall project rather than an individual, the award is to celebrate the contributions of many engineers."

Award-winners since have included ambitious, creative and even breathtaking projects like Cape Canaveral Space Center (1966), the St. Louis Gateway Arch (1967), Denver International Airport (1997), the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge (2012) and New York City One World Trade Center (2017).

In 1978, ASCE shined its worldwide spotlight on a rare and special engineering icon – the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. Al Liguori was a young Exxon civil engineer assigned to the headquarters engineering staff for the Alaska Pipeline Project from 1975 to 1978. He was part of the team that received the ASCE honor.

"The TAPS Project was really a no-brainer as far as winning, compared with other nominated projects," he explained. "The project received a lot of national attention for many years during the design phase, as well as delays due to environmental issues, ultimately required an Act of Congress authorizing its approval."

While the honor was special, Al added that it wasn't exactly a convenient time for a celebration.

It takes a lot of equipment to keep TAPS operating. Engines and excavators. Generators and graders. Skid-steer loaders and dump trucks. Trucks, four-wheelers, snowmachines and boats.

And when Alyeska slims down its fleet or gets rid of no-longer-needed-or-wanted equipment, those items can help small Alaska businesses and Alaskans keep running, too.

Every summer, Alyeska and Alaskans get together for some equipment excitement orchestrated by 1stStrike Asset Management. Alyeska and 1stStrike have teamed up since 2008 for the Alyeska Annual Surplus Auction, which is now the largest auction in Alaska. (The 2017 Alyeska Annual Surplus Auction is scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, June 17.) At the auction, Alyeska lightens its surplus load, creates space for new equipment and makes money on sales while Alaskans and small business owners get the opportunity to score cool equipment at great prices. 

Prior to the partnership, Alyeska staff allocated valuable time and resources trying to get rid of surplus equipment. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it was exhausting. Working with 1stStrike has made that process efficient, effective and, ultimately, easy.

"Alyeska used to have a surplus of equipment and materials that would take a lot of time to go through and sell," explained Joseph Wichorek, Alyeska Contracting Officer. "The surplus equipment that is sold through the annual auction attracts bidders from several parts of the state. Alyeska's surplus equipment then generally stays in the state and is used by small businesses."

Wichorek added, "The relationship between Alyeska and 1stStrike has not only created a market for used goods in Alaska, but has enriched the state's economic health as well." 

As Alyeska celebrates 40 years of TAPS operations and its special business partnerships this year, 1stStrike's CFO Traci Leake and CEO Reuben Leake shared their thoughts on TAPS and working with Alyeska for nearly 10 years. 

The 40th anniversary of TAPS operations is featured in a handful of feature stories and opinion columns in the new 2017 edition of Petroleum News' popular annual The Explorers special issue.

The issue features a walk through pipeline history in its "TAPS Timeline: Celebrating the 40 year anniversary of TAPS." The piece includes a step-by-step timeline, as well as quotes from the people who discovered oil, built up the North Slope and TAPS, and eventually started up the pipeline. Read TAPS Timeline starting on Page 40 of The Explorers.

In an op-ed titled "Long-term vision critical now," Alaska Senator Cathy Giessel celebrates 40 years of TAPS history, the pipeline's rough and tough origins, and its role in building modern Alaska. She also compares that early era to today, 40 years later, and writes about the importance of TAPS sustainability. She writes, "This reminiscence is important on the fortieth anniversary of the Prudhoe Bay field development, not because we should look upon the past with nostalgic complacency, but because history, without the ability to inform the future, is not helpful to us. We need to reflect on the lessons of the past and assess where Alaska has been. We need vision for the future to remain relevant in a globally competitive commodity market." Read Alaska Senator Cathy Giessel's column on Page 10 of The Explorers.

In a Q&A, Janet Weiss, BP Alaska President, discussed her company's nearly 60 years in Alaska and looked toward an exciting 40 years to come for BP, the North Slope and its operators, TAPS and Alaska. "With more companies operating on the North Slope, the cost structure changes for the better. This change means that more development opportunities become competitive sooner — which leads to more oil down TAPS." Read the Q&A with Janet Weiss starting on Page 26 of The Explorers.

And in "Christmas at Prudhoe Bay" (reprinted from 2011), writer Gil Mull shares a special story about the hard, but exciting, work during the North Slope's early discovery and development days. Read "Christmas at Prudhoe Bay" starting on Page 28 of The Explorers.

For around 30 years, Advocates for Victims of Violence (AVV) and Alyeska have partnered to support a Valdez-area domestic violence shelter that services 18 neighboring communities. AVV, which was established in 1981, also provides a 24-hour crisis line, crisis intervention and more.

To celebrate 40 years of TAPS operations and Alyeska’s close community connections, AVV Executive Director Rowena Palomar recently talked about the Alyeska and AVV relationship and their legacy of helping Alaskans in need. 

Please talk about the longtime and special partnership between Alyeska and AVV. 
"Alyeska's support dates back to the 1990s – back when there was a typewriter at every desk at AVV. To update our system, Alyeska stepped in and facilitated the donation of new computers. Not only did we catch up on the latest technology, but it helped us reach victims of domestic violence in an effective way."

"In the late 1990s, an increasing amount of people that sought AVV's services prompted the need to move to a larger location. A large volunteer effort came from Alyeska employees and other volunteers to spearhead fundraiser events that paid for the property's mortgage. This assistance has resulted in a safe location to house victims of domestic violence and sexual assault over the past few decades."

Please talk about some of the projects that Alyeska and AVV collaborate on.
"Alyeska and AVV maintain a strong relationship through three main events that center on our mission of offering educational programs and effecting social, political and legal change. Women of Distinction is an event that recognizes women who have made a significant contribution to the Valdez community and the advancement of women in our society. The first recipient of the Women of Distinction award went to an Alyeska employee in 2008, the late Karen Stewart. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is an international men's march to stop rape, sexual assault, and gender violence – AVV participates in that and Alyeska supports it through sponsorship. The Traveling Health Fair is a joint effort between Alyeska and AVV that promotes healthy lifestyles in rural Alaska."

In your organization's perspective, what has been the impact of TAPS on Alaska and its communities? 
"TAPS and Alyeska have made a lasting impact in communities through their support, contributions, and volunteers throughout the state. Alyeska staff efforts have resulted in organizations like AVV being able to reach out to community members with disabilities and elderly individuals, victims of violent crimes, children and youth that are going through difficult times. Alyeska continues to dedicate resources and time in to stop domestic violence and sexual assault in the communities they operate in."

When it comes to taking a system view of TAPS, the Flodin family has an interesting perspective. Like many Alaska families, they have fished and played together. Unlike many Alaska families, they all work together – supporting Alyeska and TAPS from Pump Station 1 to Valdez, in Fairbanks and Anchorage, and even out in Prince William Sound.

Steve and Mabel Flodin, the family's patriarch and matriarch, crew their 32-foot stern picker Amadeus, which was a SERVS Vessel of Opportunity boat from 2002-2016. Their three children – Dan, Julia and Ron – are all longtime Alyeska employees with unique roles.

Steve is a retired engineer who has worked around Alaska and even was part of the Exxon Valdez spill response. As a fisherman and member of the Vessel of Opportunity program, he has a deep appreciation for protecting Prince William Sound. His grownup children say they feel the same way about the sustainability and safety of TAPS.

What does working on TAPS mean to you?
Steve: "TAPS for my family, my children, it's their livelihood and it’s been the livelihood of this state for 40 years. I'm glad that they are involved in it and doing something that's productive for the company and the state."

Ron: "Working in an industry that Alaska depends on so much is a privilege. I am proud to be a part of a company that maintains the integrity of the pipeline."

Julia: "I am very proud to work for Alyeska and be part of the TAPS family. I am a lifelong Alaskan and TAPS is iconic and supports our state in so many ways. I look forward to being part of the team that continues to make TAPS sustainable into the future."

Dan: "I have depended on Alaska’s natural resources to provide for my family. Alaska has been an awesome adventure. Working for Alyeska has been an extension of that adventure. Experiencing TAPS physically standing tall and providing for the state of Alaska is rewarding. Alyeska and Alaska have much in common – a great place to live, work, make a difference and thrive."

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the final tie-in weld on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System! With TAPS workers and assorted VIPs looking on near Pump Station 3, the final weld of the 800-mile pipeline was one of the final touches needed before TAPS began operating and oil began flowing on June 20, 1977. While there were some loose ends to tie up, this moment was looked at as the completion of pipeline construction. Overall, there were 42,000 double-joint pipe welds and 66,000 field pipe welds on TAPS.

The longstanding partnership between Alyeska and Ahtna Inc. began in July 1974, well before the start of TAPS operations. That important relationship, as well as a recap on the 40-year history of TAPS, is explored in a series of articles in recent Ahtna Kanas newsletters. Ahtna and Alyeska writers share perspectives on the close working relationship and partnership between the two organizations, the pipeline and the 55 miles of Ahtna land that TAPS operates on. 

In the spring 2017 edition of the Ahtna Kanas newsletter, Alyeska President Tom Barrett recognizes the impact that Ahtna descendants have had on TAPS. In the article, "Ahtna and Alyeska: A shared vision that led to opportunity and success," President Barrett discusses the retention rate of Athna workers along TAPS, including several families that have had three generations work on the pipeline. Barrett states that "(Ahtna) worked with Alyeska to ensure that special consideration would be given in contracting and Native hire opportunities."

In the same newsletter, Ahtna President Michelle Anderson emphasizes the legacy of 40 years of TAPS operations in her message. Anderson shares that, "the first section of pipe was laid on March 27, 1975 at the Tonsina River through the joint venture between Ahtna and Alyeska." The relationship has lasted through the entirety of the pipeline: from the planning stages, construction, and maintenance that is needed today. "The partnership gives both Ahtna and APSC reciprocal benefits and creates special opportunities," Anderson writes.

The winter 2016 Ahtna Kanas newsletter illustrates the close relationship Ahtna has with Alyeska's workforce development programs such as the Building Foundations for Excellence Program. An article, "Ahtna's partnership with Alyeska puts shareholders-owners to work," highlights the significance that both baseline training and education has on positions available throughout TAPS, furthering career initiatives of Ahtna shareholders for the future. Loren Bell, a Northern Oil Spill Coordinator and Ahtna shareholder-owner, discusses Alyeska culture: "The people I work with are outstanding. Alyeska's a great company to work for. If you do your job and come in with a good work ethic and accomplish goals with your team, they take care of you."