Valdez is one of several "end of the road" destinations in Alaska. But here, too, is the terminus of the Trans Alaska Pipeline, an 800-mile oil conduit that begins in Prudhoe Bay on the Beaufort Sea.
Situated in an area called "Little Switzerland" for its magnificent, mountainous surroundings, Valdez was rebuilt in this location after the 1964 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the original townsite.
a day in the life...
small boat harbor (photo source: Missy)
Alyeska Marine Terminal (photo source: Missy)
Situated on a picturesque 11-mile-long fjord across the bay from Valdez, the Alyeska Marine Terminal is the northern-most ice-free harbor in the United States. From Valdez, oil tankers deliver crude oil 365 days a year.
Alaska crude makes its long journey south from the North Slope more than 800 miles to Valdez by way of an American engineering marvel, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Oil enters the East Metering building - "end of the pipeline" for the south-bound crude oil. Moving rates up to 75,000 barrels per hour, the incoming oil flow is metered and sent to the storage tanks or directly to tanker.
About 70 tankers are filled with crude oil each month. Each ship spends about 22 hours at the loading berths.(Source: Marine Terminal Tour brochure)
