Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Project
As an AlaskaJobFinder member you’ll gain access to our job board, which is updated with new job listings on a continual basis. There are always plenty of jobs in the fishing industry. But in addition to those positions you will frequently find oil jobs posted.
There’s a new natural gas project beginning in Alaska. If it gets going, then it could mean a huge number of jobs for Alaskans and others.
The proposed $30 billion Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline is good not just for oil companies, but for oil workers as well. Sure, it is true that once the 1,450 mile long Alaskan pipeline project is completed it will give big oil companies a larger share of the market. Sure, it is true that it will allow the big oil companies to transport more than 4 billion cubic feet of natural gas every day to the United States and Canada. Sure, it is also true that the pipeline may generate huge profits for TransCanada and other companies involved. But it is also true that with a spending projected above $30 billion dollars, the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline would also generate huge amounts of cash for the oil workers that are constructing and operating the pipeline.
Now is a very good time for oil workers to start monitoring the project’s status.
The project that is providing ample job opportunities is the Alaskan Natural Gas Pipeline. The 52" thick pipeline will be constructed to extract, process and sell natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope. Currently, natural gas from the North Slope is being used to increase pressure in oil reserves, which helps extract the oil locked in those reserves. Of course, the gas can also be sold to consumers. But how to get this natural gas to the American and Canadian markets? One answer is to construct a large continuous pipe from Alaska to the lower 48!. The deal, which would be the largest private construction project in history, will provide the American market with enough gas to account for six to eight percent of its annual consumption. The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline will also provide a reliable domestic source of hydrocarbons, which in turn will increase consumer confidence on a resource that predominately comes from areas that have a lot of political turmoil.
Economics have driven this project from the onset. High gas prices coupled with a decreasing oil supply and an ever-increasing consumer demand have forced oil companies to search for new ways to get gas to the markets. The supply and demand model of today’s oil industry projects that the companies developing the pipeline – and the state of Alaska – stand to make big profits. The financial impact of the pipeline will be evident from the very beginning. Almost immediately, Alaska will see an increase in state revenues generated from royalties and taxes. Additionally, the pipeline’s impact on the workers and operators’ job security will further drive economic growth over a long period of time.
Pipeline Construction Means Jobs!
The large scale construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline not only means that the opportunities to find a job in the oil industry have never been better, but it also means that there has never been a better opportunity to find a good job in the oil and gas industry. A quick glance at the projected construction figures says everything. 5,880 construction man years and 32 operating man years will be needed to complete the Alaska Portion of the Gas Pipeline alone. That does not include the Canadian sections of the line, nor the lower 48 portion of the line that will extend to Chicago. Additionally, 5,000 construction man years will be needed to complete the In-State Module Fabrication while 1,150 
construction man years and 76 operating man years will be needed to construct the North Slope Gas Treatment Plant.
Together, the estimates equal more than $7 billion for construction and operation of these sites on the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline. If you are a worker in the oil industry, of if you have been trying to get your first job in the industry, there has never been a more perfect time.
The Alaska Pipeline project, if it’s ever built, will generate an estimated 6,500 jobs, which is nearly one percent of the entire population of Alaska. Jobs available range from unskilled, to skilled to entry-level to jobs that require 10 years experience. Whatever your level of experience in the industry is, there is something available. Jobs that could be created include:
- Welding Jobs
- Pipeliner
- Truck Driver Positions Galore
- Environmental Health & Safety Jobs
- Inspector
- Mechanical Engineer
- Operations Supervisor
- Chemical Engineer
- and even Tour Bus Driver.
The project also offers workers an extensive training program that will allow you to expand your skill set or to jump to the position that will double your salary.
Apprenticeships for skilled positions on the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline are also available for those at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED and are physically capable of performing essential job functions. The apprenticeship program covers jobs like pile drivers, electrical workers, ironworkers, laborers, merchant marines and operating engineers.
The immediate benefits extend beyond the workers and will be seen through the state. Revenues generated from the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline will contribute to state and local needs. This means that residents, including workers, will be able to enjoy a high standard of living with all the amenities that the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline project will fund. The pipeline will provide better access to gas for Alaskan homes to keep them warm and well lit. This Alaska pipeline project may also drum up lots more exploration and production interest which means, once the project is completed other jobs and projects will be available and waiting to generate even more cash for the companies, the state and the workers.