A number of letters have appeared in The Herald criticizing any thought of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve in Alaska. A March 8 letter writer appears to have the same misconception of Alaska and the North Slope as shared by many people. The writer stated that drilling for oil in the reserve makes no sense economically or environmentally. They also state that estimates of oil in ANWR are less than a six-months supply and it would take 10 years to bring it online.
When the Prudhoe Oil Field just west of ANWR was opened, the estimate of oil there was put at 5 to 10 billion barrels. The amount was later revised upward to 23 billion barrels, and today, oil is still flowing down the 800-mile pipeline. The volume of oil is not at the initial 2.1 million barrel level daily, but it is still significant. ANWR is located approximately 80 miles east of Prudhoe. The amount of oil in ANWR cannot be determined until a well or two are drilled. Many of the experts predict that more than just a six-months supply of oil exists. I hardly think it would take 10 years to construct an 80-mile pipeline from ANWR to pump station 1 at Prudhoe. The present 800-mile Trans-Alaska pipeline rose to a height of 4,739 feet enroute to the southern oil terminal at Valdez. The construction of the 800-mile pipeline was accomplished in three years and two months. The effect on the environment has been negligible. The oil production not only helped America overall, but provided funds for schools, health care, housing, communications and a better life for many of the Alaskan natives.
Letter writers are not the only people who have misconceptions of Alaska and are misleading the public. Many of the senators in Washington, D.C., are also making decisions based purely on politics rather than on the actual facts.
Camano Island
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