Smithsonian Strikes Oil

Beginning of article

It had all the trappings of a party at the American Petroleum Institute: stretch limousines; halibut in a blanket; rich desserts; the Alaska Congressional delegation; oil industry executives and their spouses. But in fact it was a gathering at the Smithsonian Institution in late October of several hundred guests and reporters at an opening of a new exhibit titled "Oil From the Arctic: Building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline."

In the words of the Smithsonian, the exhibit at its Museum of American History was "made possible" by a $300,000 grant from Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the consortium of Arco, British Petroleum and Exxon, among others, that built the pipeline. The lavish party was also paid for by Alyeska, but Valeska Hilbig, a spokesperson for the museum, said that the amount the company paid for the party was "proprietary information."

The …