One Short Term Solution for the
Effects of the Permafrost on the
Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline

In one series of articles that I read, they talked about the Trans Alaskan Pipeline, the melting permafrost in Alaska is a near future problem for the stability of the support platforms.  Because of the melting permafrost was going to cause a sinking of the pipe, it will to make it necessary to replace many of the supports with even deeper support stands. The cost of replacing even one of the Freezer Post Supports was said to be about $85,000. Here's an idea that could be incredibly cheaper and beneficial in many other ways at the same time.

Why not use Snow Making Machines.

These machines would use existing permafrost melt water which forms into tens of thousands of heat absorbing ponds throughout the permafrost area.  The snow machines would drain the heat absorbing ponds, and at the same time place a reflective white layer of snow over the pipeline's supports. The machines would then service a triple service of Reducing the heat absorbing permafrost melt water ponds, Increase the reflectivity of the tundra, and keep the trans Alaska Oil Pipeline Supports from needing replaced. $85,000 could make a whole lot of snow.   When you add the number of Alaskan Pipeline Support Stands together, this will add up to be a tremendous amount of money.

Support Stands hold the heated Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline up off of the Permafrost so they, themselves, will not melt the Alaskan permafrost and cause pipeline instability. 

Before Snow Machine Treatment

After Snow Machine Treatment

Look at the huge number of support stands that are used to actually support this very short section of pipeline.  The Access road would make a perfect place to set up a snow generator machine to spray the white reflective and insulating snow over the support stands and nearby field.

As the Trans Alaskan Oil Pipeline goes under ground and under the road, these Ammonia filled refrigerator units and sunk into the permafrost to keep it permafrost.

Photos by C. Jeff Dyrek

Here's a close-up picture of the Cooling units used to keep the permafrost frozen.  If we could keep these units operational, without replacement for even a couple of more years, we could save billions of dollars in replacement cost.