June 20: Oil Begins Flowing Through the Trans Alaska Pipeline (1977)
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who work in the oil industry to be safe, to protect the natural environment, and to do their jobs well.
History Note
Petroleum is a naturally-occurring liquid that is oily and flammable. People have been using petroleum products for centuries for waterproofing boats, construction projects, and lighting. Beginning in the 19th century, people began large-scale commercial operations to collect, refine, and distribute petroleum around the world.
In the 1960s, people discovered oil in northern Alaska. From 1974 to 1977, about 70,000 workers were involved in building a pipeline to transport oil from Prudhoe Bay in northern Alaska to Valdez in southern Alaska. Oil began flowing through the pipeline on June 20, 1977.
By 1988 the pipeline carried enough oil each day to fill two million barrels with 42 gallons of oil each. In 2024 the average flow was enough to fill almost 500,000 barrels of oil per day.
Trans Alaska Pipeline (2018). Photo by Martin Drahomirecky / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
The National Park Service produced this video showing clips from the construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
