Costs and Risks on Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline

For several years I worked on the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline, first as a surveyor and later as a systems analyst. A few weeks ago, in my Controlling Project Costs and Risks class at University of California San Diego, we were assigned to write a short paper connecting a project with the class material. I chose to write about the pipeline project.

This was such a huge project, just the fact that it got completed implies that there were some heroes on the project management team. Think about up to 25,000 people working along a more than 800 mile long project completing hundreds of tasks that, in the everyday world, would be a large project in their own right. And, doing it all in some of the most extreme terrain and climate conditions to be found on earth.

I must admit, when I was there on the job, I didn't fully appreciate some of the points that I discuss in my paper. For instance, I always thought some of the personnel accommodations were, let's say, over-the-top. But, looking at it from the standpoint of managing costs and risks, I can see where it was probably less expensive to trade a little extravagance for the benefit of eliminating (almost) the possibility of work stoppages.

Here is my report, on which, by the way, I got a very good grade.

Controlling Costs and Risks in Construction of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline

I hope you find it interesting.

I've written some of stories about my experiences on that job (and other experiences). Check them out at Weoka Creek to Sag River, and More: Stories From the Journey.