It took $8-billion and 3 years to build. It was 800-mile oil pipeline winding its way thru the Alaskan wilderness crossing 3 Arctic mountain ranges and hundreds of rivers and streams. At the time it was the world’s largest and most expensive privately funded construction project.
It all began with a huge gusher near Beaumont, Texas. Black gold. Texas “T”. It was a gusher of oil that took 9 days to cap and with it began the American oil industry – the world’s first trillion dollar industry. A Texas businessman, who was also an amateur geologist was convinced there was a huge pool of oil in an area south of Beaumont. He and several partners spent years drilling in an ar