Natural Gas for the Pacific Northwest: The Scenic Inch (1956)

Duration: 23:43

Year Published: 1956

Sound: sound

Description: Presented by the Pacific Northwest Pipeline Corporation, this 1950s industrial film chronicles the construction of the Northwest Pipeline, a 1,500-mile natural gas pipeline from the San Juan Basin in New Mexico to the major cities of the Pacific Northwest. It also reviews both industrial and home uses for natural gas. El Paso Natural Gas purchased the Pacific Northwest Pipeline Corporation and its Northwest Pipeline in 1957, drawing the attention of the US Department of Justice. After a 15-year legal battle, the US Supreme Court ordered El Paso Natural Gas to divest Pacific Northwest Pipeline Corporation on antitrust grounds. The Northwest Pipeline is currently owned by Williams Companies. Robert Yarnall Richie, who produced and directed this film, was a freelance industrial photographer and filmmaker who worked with various large corporations in Texas and around the globe.