Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/panamacanalrevie1978pana HAROLD R. PARFITT WILLIE K. FRIAR Col ."rnor-Prcsident Editor JAMES H. TORMEV Lieutenant Governor SUMMER 1978 Writers Vic Canel, Fannie P. Hernandez, FRANK A. BALDWIN Dolores E. Suisman, Panama Canal Information Officer Official Panama Canal Publication Vicki Boatwright Review articles may be reprinted without further clearance. Credit to the Review will be appreciated. The Panama Canal Review is published twice a year. Yearly subscription: regular mail $2, airmail $4. For subscription, send check or money order, made payable to the Panama Canal Company, to Panama Canal Review, Box M, Balboa Heights, C.Z. Editorial Office is located in Room 100, Administration Building, Balboa Heights, C.Z. Canal watchers—those who visit the Also in this issue is the story of the locks regularly to take a look at In This Issue Canal's watercraft, which plays such the passing of a vital role in the movement of parade ships—know of moving the oil to the Gulf and ships through the waterway. that traffic has taken on a different look. East Coast ports of the United States. Even a casual observer must have At right: Tlie "Overseas New York," Along with the tankers, Canal which broke the cargo record noticed the large number of heavily for observers probably have noticed the Panama Canal when she transited in laden oil tankers passing through the increase in the number of cruise April with 64,603 long tons of oil, the waterway. liners. Much new air/sea cruise passes the "Overseas Chicago." Oil from the North Slope of business has been generated by the Canal being in the news Alaska has reached the Canal and in Panama spotlight throughout the past year this issue we are featuring a story on The new treaties governing the as a result of the Treaty negotiations future operation and defense of how the merging of the Alaska pipeline the Panama Canal were signed bv and this issue contains a collection with the Panama Canal has become the United States and Panama in of recipes from these luxurious ships. a temporary solution to the problem a ceremony at OAS headquarters in Washington on September 7, 1977. They were approved by Panama in a plebiscite on Oc- Credits: The following individuals and companies tober 23 of that year and the U.S. have contributed to this edition of the Review: On The Cover Senate gave its advice and con- C. Fernie ir Co., agents for SOHIO at sent to their ratification in March the Canal; the Overseas Shipholding Group; The Trans Alaska Pipeline, the Over- Jack Ott, of "The Sohian," the Alyeska and April 1978. The new treaties seas Chicago entering Miraflores Locks Pipeline Service Co.; Duncan Beardsley, are scheduled to go into effect Vice President, Royal Cruise Line; and and the Chicago moving up the Mis- 6 months after the exchange of captains and crews of the "Overseas Chicago," sissippi River, appear on the front ratification instruments between the "Maryland," and the "Renown." Special credit the two governments becomes cover. On the back, the Overseas for panoramic views of the Canal Zone and effective. Panama would then as- for layout assistance goes to Mel Kennedy, and to Chicago leaves Valdez in Alaska laden sume plenary jurisdiction over Kevin Jenkins, who photographed the entire with North Slope oil. Front cover what is now the Canal Zone, I oyage of the "Overseas Chicago." although U.S. police and courts Other photographers, whose work is included are photos are by Kevin Jenkins. The back would retain limited authority for Arthur L. Pollack, Don Goode, and cover was provided by the Overseas Alberto Acevedo. Map and graph are by a 30-month transition period. Carlos Mendez. Shipholding Group. Summer 1978 L .••': -*•••- i^nlwmiiiiiiiipiiwiMiiii'i The Panama Canal Oil from the Arctic travels through the tropics as the Panama Canal and the Alaska Pipeline merge to move North Slope oil to U.S. East and Gulf ports Bv Willie K. Friar The Aluska Pipeline stretches 800 miles Bay on the Arctic from Prudhoe generation of electricity, ARE 1,191,299 BARRELS vear for the Ocean tu Valdez, tin ice-free port. THERE was aboard the Overseas Alaska, the of North Slope crude oil in the Overseas Arctic, and the Overseas New Panama Canal at this moment." This York all northbound en route to U.S statement from Canal officials on Gulf ports. Laden with 64,603 long April 28 announced the movement of tons of oil, the Overseas New York set the biggest shipment of Alaskan oil to an all time high cargo record for the transit the Canal at one time. Canal. Map of North Slope oil route with The oil, equal to the total amount of It on 20, 1977 that the sfiips positioned in Parita Bay. fuel consumed in the Canal Zone each was June Summeii 1978 onnection Alaska oil first entered the pipeline at Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean. This marked the completion of the largest engineering project ever undertaken by private enterprise. Crude oil began gushing into the big pipeline at 300,000 barrels per day. It required 9.4 million barrels of oil just to fill it and it was a month before the first oil emerged from the pipeline at Valdez Marine Terminal. In the fol- lowing weeks, the movement of oil reached 600,000 barrels per day and which is almost 103 feet in the beam and 736 feet long, gradually was raised to 1.2 million The "Overseas Joyce," moves through Caillard Cut en route from Parita Bay to barrels. It now takes about a week for the East Coast of the United States with a cargo of Alaska crude oil. a barrel of oil to make the 800-mile trip from the North Slope through the pipeline to Valdez. workers required to build the Panama line, and $3 billion developing Prudhoe Construction of the Pipeline Canal. Bay and associated facilities. The pipeline which begins at Prud- Those acquainted with the problems The Alveska Pipeline Service Co., is firm responsible for the hoe Bav on the Arctic Ocean, stretches involved in the construction of the Pan- which the and operation of across the largest state in the nation to ama Canal have a special appreciation design, construction is by eight firms— the ice-free port of Valdez. Between for the successful completion of the the pipeline, owned Prudhoe Bav and the Brooks Mountain trans-Alaska Pipeline. Few engineers Amerada Hess Pipeline Corp., ABCO Co., Pipe Line Co., Bangc, it crosses miles of treeless have ever been faced with such for- Pipe Line SOHIO Co., Alaska Co., tundra underlain bv permafrost where, midable complications of climate, ter- Exxon Pipeline Mobil Co., Union Alaska for almost 2 months in the winter, the rain and government regulations as Phillips Petroleum BP Pipelines, Inc. sun never appears. Rainfall here is those encountered in the building of Pipeline Co. and cost of the project has been es- about the same as in the deserts of this pipeline. Total billion, of which Nevada and Utah. Designers, choosing the route for the timated at almost $12 billion been spent on the pipe- The line reaches its highest point, the pipeline, had to figure the best way to S9 has cross three mountain ranges, how to cope with problems of potential earth- The "Overseas Chicago" approaches the Exxon Refinery at Baton Rouge, La. quakes, protection of wildlife, perma- The vessel makes regular shuttle trips through the Canal frost, and the heat generated bv the transporting oil to East and Gulf poits. flow of warm oil at temperatures of 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit through pipes erected over frozen ground. There were streams that crossed the route on an average of one each mile and the migration paths of caribou had to be considered as well as the salmon spawning streams and the nesting sites of birds along the routes. Although oil was discovered at Prud- hoe in 1968, it was not until April 1974 that construction began on the 358-mile road between Prudhoe Bay and the Yukon Biver. As soon as the road was completed, the pipeline work began in earnest with more than 22,000 persons engaged in the construction work. A monument to 20th-century tech- nology, the pipeline construction re- quired less than half the number of The Panama Canal Beview 5 <:^& r*te< 7**$ 4,800-foot Atigun Pass, as it climbs the* world, it is equipped with a computer The Role of the Canal chored 14 miles off Chitre in Parita crews of the British terminal vessels can it moves south ap- which scans the line everv 20 seconds Brooks Range. As Bav, about 65 miles from the Canal. receive about 10,500 long tons per hour It took another for the Yukon River, it passes and reports flow, pressure, temperature, month the first oil proaching A number of ships (at last count 28 and discharge into the Canal shuttle to reach the Panama The oil arrives at Parita Bat/ aboard through areas where temperatures range rate of discharge and thousands of other Canal. On Au- or 30— it changes otten) one of which is ships at about 4,500 long tons per gust 31, the supertankers and then is discharged into winter's record minus 80 degrees types of data. The whole operation is Washington Trader tran- from a tug-barge combination, are engaged hour. The ships are equipped to take sited the smaller vessels able to transit the Canal.