National Geographic - World's Toughest Fixes Series 1 (2009) Part 8 Alaska Oil Pipeline

World's Toughest Fixes Series 1

World's Toughest Fixes“ takes you inside some of the most daunting repair jobs imaginable. Each one-hour episode follows Sean Riley as he pushes himself to the limit while working with some of the world's top mechanics, showing viewers how these challenging fixes are tackled. A professional rigger with a passion for adventure, Riley isn't afraid to strap on a hazmat suit or attach himself to a live high-voltage power line to get the job done. He's seen more than his fair share of perilous situations, but on each job he has to show the crew he knows his stuff. It's usually a quick initiation, and soon Riley is flexing his engineering muscle while helping experts solve problems of enormous proportions. Whether dangling from ropes hundreds of feet in the air or diving close to a construction vessel's propellers, Riley's engineering prowess takes viewers inside the marvels of large-scale industry — and he shows what happens when things don't go as planned.

Part 8: Alaska Oil Pipeline

Sean Riley joins a team on the 800-mile Trans-Alaska oil pipeline which is the conduit for nearly 15 percent of U.S. domestic oil production. Riley and the team have only 36 hours to swap out one of the line’s 32-ton valves — a plug that helps block the pipe and lessen the damage in the event of an oil spill. In order to accomplish this, Riley and the team must first plug the line to isolate it and then drain the oil from the section they need to replace. Next, they cut into the pipe and weld on a new valve. Welding around crude oil is among the most dangerous jobs in industry. Pipeline and oilfield accidents claim hundreds of lives every year. For Riley and his team, failure is not an option.

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