Transportation
Proposals
November 17, 2003
Second Proposed Transportation Strategy
Air Transport
Air transport within ANWR will be by either helicopter or plane.
Helicopters can land on any flat surface, including directly on the frozen
tundra if need be, though a helipad off the tundra would be better.
Helicopters used for transportation may not even need to land—it can lower
equipment or personnel onto the surface and then leave. Maximum load:
16 tons, though this data is for military helicopters. Commercial copters
have yet to be researched. Current research suggests that the helicopters
with the largest payloads include the Sikorsky Skycrane (~10 ton load), Chinhook
CH-47F (~13 tons), and the Skyhook Super Stallion(~16 ton load)
-sources
http://www.defensedaily.com/progprof/army/ch47.pdf
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/ch-53e/
http://www.evergreenaviation.com/EHI/specsheets/s64.html
Airplanes will also be used to travel within ANWR. The previous proposal
stated that airplanes will not be used because they require airstrips.
However, further research has found that this is not the case. Lockheed
Martin’s C-130 Hercules airplanes can take off and land on ice and snow….no
airstrip required. However, concerns have been raised about ANWR’s snow
cover: at only a maximum of 1 ft deep snow, it is not know whether the landing
of an airplane will damage the tundra directly under the snow cover.
If this is a problem, frozen lakes may be used instead of snow for landing
sites. C-130: Maximum payload of 20 tons, minimum range of 2,350 miles,
average cost (in 1999) $44.1 million.
-sources:
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/aircraft/air-c130.html
http://www.lmaeronautics.com/products/airmobility/c-130/specs.html
Transportation to and from ANWR will also be conducted by air travel.
A permanent airfield will be installed to the west of ANWR because drilling
will take place in western 1002. This airfield will be made of gravel,
not ice, and will include airstrip(s) and helipad(s). Arriving planes
will transport both people and equipment, which will be unloaded and transported
to the drill sites by helicopter, rolligons, or hovercrafts. Air travel
causes extreme noise pollution and may adversely affect bird populations in
ANWR, especially during warm months when birds are abundant. Due to
this, air travel will be restricted during summer. All necessary equipment
for the summer will be shipped in during winter and stored.
The existing gravel airfield in Kakovik may be used instead of installing
a new airfield, but there are a few problems with that:
-Katovik is on Barter Island, and the fact that there is a water barrier
between it and mainland Alaska complicates transportation to ANWR. Equipment
will need to be transported across this water barrier either by helicopter
or hovercraft to the mainland, instead of directly by rolligon as it would
if there was no water barrier, and this can be a cumbersome extra step.
-Kaktovik is on to the east of ANWR and will be farther away from the proposed
drill site than a western airfield. Though given the small size of ANWR
this isn’t that big of a deal, lengthened travel on ground vehicles both
increases the impact these vehicles make on the tundra and increase travel
time, which may or may not be an inconvenience.
Ground Vehicles
The objective when choosing vehicles is to minimize environmental impact.
Thus, vehicles that exert little pressure and will not pierce the tundra were
considered. Transportation vehicles will include, but will not be limited
to, hovercrafts, rolligons, and snow mobiles.
Hovercraft- Hovercrafts, also called air cushioned vehicles, operate by
using fans to push air under the vehicle and trapping the air with a skirt.
Thus the hovercrafts lift above the ground. Ground contact is made primarily
by the skirt, which can lightly scrape the surface. Most hovercrafts
are amphibious—they can travel over water, land, ice, snow, and otherwise
impossible to reach areas like swamps and mud pits. Because hovercrafts
do not pierce the land they travel, drag is reduced and operating efficiency
is greatly increased. One adverse effect of hovercrafts is noise pollution,
but this can be minimized to the noise produced by a typical truck or bus.
Hoverdril Inc. hovercrafts have been previously used to build the TransAlaskan
pipeline. Hoverdril claims that its hovercraft exert an average of 0.33
psi and can pass over bird eggs, tundra rodents, and animal burrows without
inducing harm or injury. If the fans stop working, or if a large part
of the skirt is damaged, air will slowly seep out over the course of a few
minutes and the hovercraft will make a gentle landing. Hoverdril hovercrafts
may be too big to transport as a single unit and can be disassembled for
transport and easily reassembled. They use a 1:50 oil to gasoline ratio
fuel, not diesel. Maximum payload of 160 tons; these hovercraft will
be used to transport large objects that other vehicles cannot. Operating
temperatures range to as low as -57°F. Most damage to the surface
caused by skirt contact is made in the first five passes; after five passes
no significant additional damage is produced. Noise pollution is an
unavoidable bi-product of the air-propellers, but can be minimized.
-source: “Environmental Impact of the Hovercraft”, reported by Dan Turner,
Technical VP, Hoverdril Inc., 2003.
Alaska Hovercraft model LACV-30 is a small light hovercraft compared to
Hoverdril models. Dimensions approximately 30 ft by 40 ft by 80 ft.
Maximum speed of 45 mph. Maximum payload of 30 tons. Fuel consumption
at 260 gallons/hour. Endurance of up to 10 hours. These hovercraft
will be used to transport smaller objects and can also be used for offshore
oil exploration, search and rescue operations, personnel transport, water
and fuel transport, and fire-fighting.
-source: http://www.ahv.lynden.com/ahv/lacv-30.html
Other hovercrafts may be also used for small object and personnel transport,
including summer transport if necessary, rescue operations, and offshore exploration.
Rolligons- Rolligons are off road vehicles that operate on special huge
tires designed to exert a low pressure on the surface, specifically around
3 psi. Though this is a higher pressure compared to hovercrafts, it’s
still a relatively low number, low enough for the U.S. Department of Energy
to call it an “ultra-low impact vehicle”. Rolligons have a maximum
payload of 30 tons. Maximum speed around 20 mph. Rolligons can
be used to transport small drill rigs and even drill platforms. Objects
that are too large will be transported by hovercraft. Rolligons do
not require roads, and so no roads may be necessary.
-source: http://www.rolligon.com
A note on fuel: diesel fuel will be undoubtedly needed for vehicle operation.
There is a new ultra-low sulfer content diesel fuel that drastically reduces
particle emissions. This fuel will be used for vehicle operation in
ANWR.
-source: Petroleum News Alaska April 7, 2001 vol. 7 no. 14 pg 12
Snow Mobiles- There are some snow traveling vehicles that are not specialized
to oil drilling which may be used for ground passenger transport. Snow
mobiles may be more feasible to use for short-distance personnel transport
than helicopters or hovercraft. However, snow mobiles are designed to
travel on snow, so they will not be used in the summer months. None
of the snow mobiles require roads, but they will not be allowed to roam the
1002 area freely; they will follow set routes. There are two types of
such vehicles: track and tired vehicles.
Track vehicles include snow coaches, also called snow cats. These
vehicles run on diesel or gasoline and use either metal or rubber tracks
to grip the snow. They are mostly used to transport passengers—8 to
16 people at a time—and are not meant for heavy equipment transport, even
though they have the capacity to tow additional units. Snow cats are
stable over rough terrain and steep slopes. They are common, non-specialized
snow vehicles and are only meant to travel on snow covered areas. These
vehicles will not be used during the summer. Snow cats have a fuel consumption
of ~2-5 miles/gallon, and each vehicle costs around $70,000 to $210,000.
Tired vehicles include snow buses, also called tundra buggies. These
vehicles are like buses and are also used for passenger transport. Snow
buses use big tires, similar to rolligons, to distribute weight evenly.
They have a larger passenger capacity at around 50 people. Fuel consumption
of ~3-5 miles/gallon, each vehicle costs around $420,000-$670,000.
-source: http://www.fta.dot.gov/library/policy/fedland/v1/snow.pdf
Roads
Given that hovercraft and rolligons may be transporting most of the equipment,
access roads may not be needed at all. But these ground vehicles will
not be allowed to roam freely. Transport routes will be mapped out and
set, similar to a road without the physical presence of a road. All
transport vehicles will have a Global Positioning Service (GPS) device to
guide the drivers/pilots along the set routes.
If access roads within ANWR are absolutely needed, ice roads will be built.
Ice roads are constructed every year for winter use and melt away with the
warming of the weather. Because they melt, ice roads leave a minimal
physical footprint. Environmental impacts of the ice roads mostly concern
the fresh water necessary to build the road and where the water goes after
it melts. It is estimated that ice roads require about 1.5 million gallons
per mile. In the past, water was taken from nearby rivers and lakes,
but excessive water removal can be dangerous to marine life. It is
possible to collect snow as it falls and to steam press local snow to form
ice, but the feasibilities of these options have yet to be determined, because
ANWR doesn’t have that much snow or snowfall. A new possibility is
to use purified sea water for ice roads. The feasibility of this option
is also not yet determined. In any case, if water removal will cause
great damage to the environment, ice roads will not be constructed and set
paths by non-road-bound vehicles will be used instead.
A gravel road within ANWR is extremely ill advised because gravel roads
cause permanent damage. Unlike ice roads, gravel roads don’t go away.
They are difficult and often impossible to clean up and they leave a permanent
multi-mile scar on the tundra. They will not be used within ANWR even
if ice roads are not an option.
A permanent access road to facilities outside of ANWR may be needed.
These facilities include pipelines, airfields, control centers, and warehouses
that may need to be accessed year round. The permanent road will be
constructed of gravel.
Pipelines
Mission has decided not to drill for natural gas or to drill offshore.
Therefore, these pipelines will no longer be considered.
The proposed oil pipeline system will be composed of a network of pipelines
connecting between drill sites that ultimately lead to a cumulative single
pipeline. All the pipelines will be heated so to allow oil to flow as
a liquid. The single pipeline will head west out of ANWR and connect
to the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) at Pump Station 1.
TAPS is currently operating at only half capacity. Its throughput peaked
at 2 million barrels a day in the late 1980s and has ever since been in decline.
Its current throughput is at about 1 million barrels a day, and so it can
accommodate another million barrels a day. (source: Petroleum News Alaska
April 7, 2002 vol 7 no. 14 p 13.)
TAPS has four pump stations north of Brooks Range. Pump Station (PS)
1 is in the North Slope area. PS 2 is on standby. PS 3 and 4 are
farther to the south. As currently estimated, PS 1 will be the closest
facility to which the proposed pipeline will connect to and so that is where
the pipeline will go.
Currently it has not been decided whether the proposed pipeline will be
entirely above ground, entirely below ground, or be a combination of both.
Traditionally, pipelines have been installed underground where permafrost
is stable and above ground where permafrost is in danger of thawing.
However, because 1002 is such a small region and so far north, permafrost
should be more or less uniform and stable. If so, the proposed pipeline
system can be entirely below ground. However, there are major advantages
to above-ground pipes.
Above ground pipelines are easier to access, maintain, construct, and de-construct
compared to underground pipelines. Construction would be modeled off
the TAPS as much as possible: vertical support beams to hold the pipeline
up, high enough for animals to pass under, zigzag pattern to allow for pipe
expansion with the flowing of warm oil, and shifting supports/sliding capacity
to allow for movement to accommodate seismic activity (even though the 1002
area is designated as having low seismic activity). Physical damage
to the pipeline or to its support beams can be detected by visual inspection
and by smart pigs. Valves, which tend to leak, may be replaced by vertical
loops systems to guard against leakages.
Construction of underground pipelines would require an immense amount of
digging into the permafrost, as would de-construction. Underground pipelines
would need to be excavated for leakages and repairs. In case of seismic
activity, however unlikely it may be, the surrounding soil and permafrost
may shift and strain the pipeline, increasing the chances of leaks.
Underground oil leaks are much more difficult to clean than surface leaks
because the oil flows directly into the permafrost instead of onto an area
of snow that can be removed. Underground pipes do not have the option
of vertical loops…they have to use valves, which further increases the chances
of leakages. (source: Pipeline and Gas Journal May 2000 vol 227 issue
5 p 28.) However, the one advantage of underground pipelines are
that they’d be out of sight for the animals…and thus if the pipelines run
smoothly (i.e. no excavations required), it should cause a less of an environmental
impact on the local wildlife compared to above ground pipes.
If underground pipelines are used, a refrigeration system will be in place
for the entire underground route. In the past, refrigeration was only
used in thaw-unstable permafrost. However, the unrefrigerated pipelines
melted the previously thought to be thaw-stable permafrost. Therefore,
refrigeration will be installed throughout the entire underground pipeline
route, regardless of thaw stable or unstable permafrost.
Pipeline distance is to be minimized so as to minimize environmental impact.
Pipelines from some drill sites will be linked to other drill sites, and these
sites will serve as small pump stations. All drill sites will have
the capacity to have more pipes connected to it (for future additional drill
sites), ability to receive and launch pigs, and the ability to pump the oil.
If necessary, a true pump station will be installed later in the line when
or after all the individual pipelines connect to form a single pipeline leading
to the TAPS.
Major geographical obstacles along the routes of pipelines, like rivers,
may be bypassed by using horizontal directional drilling to install pipelines
beneath. This technique was first used at the Alpine project to cross
the Colville River and may be duplicated elsewhere.
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November 7, 2003
Proposed Preliminary Transportation Strategy, proposed to Mission 2007
on Nomber 7, 2003
Ground Vehicles
The objective when choosing vehicles is to minimize environmental impact.
Thus, vehicles that exert little pressure and will not pierce the tundra
were considered. Transportation vehicles will include, but will not
be limited to, hovercrafts and rolligons.
Hovercraft- Hovercrafts, also called air cushioned vehicles, operate by
using fans to push air under the vehicle and trapping the air with a skirt.
Thus the hovercrafts lift above the ground. Ground contact is made
primarily by the skirt, which can lightly scrape the surface. Most hovercrafts
are amphibious—they can travel over water, land, ice, snow, and otherwise
impossible to reach areas like swamps and mud pits. Because hovercrafts
do not pierce the land they travel, drag is reduced and operating efficiency
is greatly increased. One adverse effect of hovercrafts is noise pollution,
but this can be minimized to the noise produced by a typical truck or bus.
Hoverdril Inc. hovercrafts have been previously used to build the TransAlaskan
pipeline. Hoverdril claims that its hovercraft exert an average of
0.33 psi and can pass over bird eggs, tundra rodents, and animal burrows without
inducing harm or injury. If the fans stop working, or if a large part
of the skirt is damaged, air will slowly seep out over the course of a few
minutes and the hovercraft will make a gentle landing. Hoverdril hovercrafts
may be too big to transport as a single unit and can be disassembled for
transport and easily reassembled. They use a 1:50 oil to gasoline ratio
fuel, not diesel. Maximum payload of 160 tons; these hovercraft will
be used to transport large objects that other vehicles cannot. Operating
temperatures range to as low as -57°F. Most damage to the surface
caused by skirt contact is made in the first five passes; after five passes
no significant additional damage is produced. Noise pollution is an
unavoidable bi-product of the air-propellers, but can be minimized.
-source: “Environmental Impact of the Hovercraft”, reported by Dan Turner,
Technical VP, Hoverdril Inc., 2003.
Alaska Hovercraft model LACV-30 is a small light hovercraft compared to
Hoverdril models. Dimensions approximately 30 ft by 40 ft by 80 ft.
Maximum speed of 45 mph. Maximum payload of 30 tons. Fuel consumption
at 260 gallons/hour. Endurance of up to 10 hours. These hovercraft
will be used to transport smaller objects and can also be used for offshore
oil exploration, search and rescue operations, personnel transport, water
and fuel transport, and fire-fighting.
-source: http://www.ahv.lynden.com/ahv/lacv-30.html
Other hovercrafts may be also used for small object and personnel transport,
rescue operations, and offshore exploration.
Rolligons- Rolligons are off road vehicles that operate on special huge
tires designed to exert a low pressure on the surface, specifically around
3 psi. Though this is a higher pressure compared to hovercrafts, it’s
still a relatively low number, low enough for the U.S. Department of Energy
to call it an “ultra-low impact vehicle”. Rolligons have a maximum
payload of 30 tons. Maximum speed around 20 mph. Rolligons can
be used to transport small drill rigs and even drill platforms. Objects
that are too large will be transported by hovercraft. Rolligons do
not require roads, and so no roads may be necessary.
-source: www.rolligon.com
A note on fuel: diesel fuel will be undoubtedly needed for vehicle operation.
There is a new ultra-low sulfer content diesel fuel that drastically reduces
particle emissions. This fuel will be used for vehicle operation in
ANWR.
-source: Petroleum News Alaska April 7, 2001 vol. 7 no. 14 pg 12
Air Transport
Air transport within ANWR will be by helicopter. Helicopters can
land on any flat surface, including directly on the frozen tundra if need
be, though a helipad off the tundra would be better. Helicopters used
for transportation may not even need to land—it can lower equipment or personnel
onto the surface and then leave. Maximum load: 25 tons, though this
data is for military helicopters. Commercial copters have yet to be
researched.
-source: http://www.defensedaily.com/progprof/army/ch47.pdf
Airplanes will not be used to travel within ANWR because they require
airstrips. Given the small size of ANWR, airstrips are not necessary
within ANWR and helicopters can cover the entire terrain.
Transportation to and from ANWR will also be conducted by air travel.
A permanent airfield will be installed to the west of ANWR because drilling
will take place in western 1002. This airfield will be made of gravel,
not ice, and will include airstrip(s) and helipad(s). Arriving planes
will transport both people and equipment, which will be unloaded and transported
to the drill sites by helicopter, rolligons, or hovercrafts. Air travel
causes extreme noise pollution and may adversely affect bird populations
in ANWR, especially during warm months when birds are abundant. Due
to this, air travel will be restricted during summer. All necessary
equipment for the summer will be shipped in during winter and stored.
The existing gravel airfield in Kakovik may be used instead of installing
a new airfield, but there are a few problems with that:
-Katovik is on Barter Island, and the fact that there is a water barrier
between it and mainland Alaska complicates transportation to ANWR.
Equipment will need to be transported across this water barrier either by
helicopter or hovercraft to the mainland, instead of directly by rolligon
as it would if there was no water barrier, and this can be a cumbersome extra
step.
-Kaktovik is on to the east of ANWR and will be farther away from the
proposed drill site than a western airfield. Though given the small
size of ANWR this isn’t that big of a deal, lengthened travel on ground vehicles
both increases the impact these vehicles make on the tundra and increase travel
time, which may or may not be an inconvenience.
Roads
Given that hovercraft and rolligons may be transporting most of the equipment,
access roads may not be needed at all.
If access roads within ANWR are absolutely needed, ice roads will be built.
Ice roads are constructed every year for winter use and melt away with the
warming of the weather. Because they melt, ice roads leave a minimal
physical footprint. Environmental impacts of the ice roads mostly concern
the fresh water necessary to build the road. Often the water is taken
from nearby rivers and lakes, but at 1.5 million gallons per mile of ice
road and lots of road necessary, this can become dangerous to marine life.
It is possible to collect snow as it falls and also to melt nearby snow
to form ice, but the feasibilities of these options have yet to be determined.
There is also the question of is there enough water in ANWR (the place is
dry) for both surface operations AND ice roads. The answer to this
question may very well be “no”. If so, no roads will be constructed
and transportation will mainly be conducted by low impact snow traveling
vehicles.
A gravel road within ANWR is extremely ill advised because gravel roads
cause permanent damage. Unlike ice roads, gravel roads don’t go away.
They are difficult and often impossible to clean up and they leave a permanent
multi-mile scar on the tundra. They will not be used within ANWR even
if ice roads are not an option.
A permanent access road to facilities outside of ANWR may be needed.
These facilities include pipelines, airfields, control centers, and warehouses
that may need to be accessed year round. The permanent road will be
constructed of gravel.
Pipelines
Two pipeline systems will be installed, one for liquid oil and one for
natural gas.
The oil pipeline system will be composed of a network of pipelines between
drill sites that will come together to form one pipeline and head west to
connect with the TransAlaskan Pipeline. The TAPS system is currently
running at only half capacity, which is about 1 million barrels a day, and
will be able to accommodate another one million barrels a day. The
oil pipeline will be composed of both above ground and below ground components.
Where the permafrost is stable, the pipe will be buried so as to limit above
ground disturbances to the environment. Where the permafrost is not
stable, the pipe will be above ground, thereby reducing the risk of permafrost
melting. Where the permafrost is unstable but the pipe needs to be
buried anyways, a refrigeration system will be installed to prevent melting
of the permafrost. All pipes will have an internal heating system to
keep the oil inside liquid and mobile. For above ground pipes, a vertical
loop leak containment system will replace valves. Valves actually provide
more openings and therefore are more likely to leak. Vertical loops
are just artificial high points in the pipeline that will contain leaks
via pressure differences and cascade reactions. Below-ground pipes
are more hazardous because if they leak, the oil goes directly into the soil
and permafrost. This can be mitigated by installing a rigorous pipeline
monitoring system to detect leaks right away and seal them off.
-source on TAPS capacity: Petroleum News Alaska April 7, 2002 vol 7 no.
14 p 13
-source on vertical loops: Pipeline and Gas Journal May 2000 vol 227 issue
5 p 28
Transportation of natural gas is a more complicated issue. Currently
no natural gas pipeline exists in Alaska (though the construction of one
may begin in the near future) which raises the question of where’s the gas
going to go once it leaves the drill sites. One possibility is to wait
for the construction of a TransAlaskan Natural Gas pipeline, which is currently
being debated in Congress, and then connect our gas pipeline to it.
This may be the best choice because it requires the least work from us.
Another option is to not wait for Congress and just build a TransAlaskan
Natural Gas pipeline for ANWR drilling, but this is almost certainly not feasible.
A third option is to connect the gas pipeline to an existing gas pipeline
in Canada that travels down to the U.S., either the Alliance gas pipeline
in British Columbia or the TransCanada pipeline in Alberta. A fourth
option is to convert natural gas to liquid synthesis gas and transport the
synthesis gas via TAPS. Research into this area is being conducted,
but the feasibility and costs have not yet been accurately determined.
-source on synthesis gas: Gas Daily May 21, 1997 vol. 14 no. 98
Oil and Gas Journal June 23, 1997
-also visit Alliance Pipeline at www.alliance-pipeline.com
visit TransCanada at www.transcanada.com
Major geographical obstacles along the routes of pipelines, like rivers,
may be bypassed by using horizontal directional drilling to install pipelines
beneath. This technique was first used at the Alpine project to cross
the Colville River and may be duplicated elsewhere.
-source: Pipeline and Gas Journal May, 2000 vo. 227 issue 5 p 28
Offshore pipelines will also contain both liquid oil and natural gas pipelines.
Offshore pipelines are especially prone to leaks and damages. Factors
include saltwater environment, seabed ice gouging, and seabed upheaval.
The pipes will have to be specially designed to withstand extreme stress
and bending strains. Rigorous leak detection systems will need to be
installed throughout the subsea region to monitor any and all leaks.
Most likely offshore pipeline transportation will be modeled off of the northstar
project.
-source on Northstar: Oil and Gas Journal April 30, 2001 pg 100
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