Natural Gas Pipelines*

Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon that consists mostly of methane. It is usually found in underground formations of porous rock, and found either alone or in association with oil. During the production process, wells are drilled into the porous rock and pipes are used to bring the natural gas to the surface. In most wells, the pressure of the natural gas is enough to force it to the surface and into the gathering lines.

Gathering lines link production areas to central collection points. Some natural gas gathering systems include a processing facility, which removes such impurities as natural gas liquids, water, carbon dioxide or sulfur that might corrode a pipeline, or inert gases such as helium that could reduce the energy value of the gas.

The pipeline transmission system, the "interstate highway" for natural gas, consists of 180,000 miles of high-strength steel pipe 20 inches to 42 inches in diameter. It moves huge amounts of natural gas thousands of miles from producing regions to local natural gas utilities. Compressor stations every 70 miles boost the pressure that is lost through the friction of gas moving through steel pipe.

Local distribution companies are the "city streets" for natural gas. This is where meters measure the gas, and where a sour-smelling odorant is added to help customers smell even small quantities of natural gas. The local gas company then uses distribution pipes, or "mains", to bring natural gas service to most U.S. homes and nearly 5 million businesses.

*Source: Natural Gas Council

Liquid Pipelines*

Pipelines move nearly two-thirds of the ton-miles of oil transported annually. Pipelines are, by far, America's most important petroleum supply line, including crude oil, refined fuel and raw materials.

Practical and Safe
Because of the volume that must be transported, pipelines are the only feasible method for moving the enormous quantities of petroleum America requires to keep going each day.

• Replacing even a modest-sized pipeline, which might transport 150,000 barrels per day, would require 750 tanker truck loads per day, a load delivered every two minutes around the clock.  
• Replacing the same pipeline with a railroad train of tank cars carrying 2,000 barrels each would require a 75-car train to arrive and be unloaded every day.

In addition to their efficiency, pipelines also have important environmental and safety benefits. Compared to other inland transport modes, pipelines do not crowd our highways and rivers and they produce negligible air pollution. Pipelines also have a lower spill rate per barrel of oil transported than competing modes of transportation, namely trucks and barges.

Cost Efficiency
Petroleum pipelines depend on a relatively small national workforce of about 16,000 skilled men and women, yet that workforce transports over 600 billion ton-miles of freight each year. These workers accomplish this job so efficiently that America's oil pipelines transport 17% of all U.S. freight, but cost only 2% of the nation's freight bill.

Total Freight Transported
Interstate pipelines deliver over 12.9 billion barrels of petroleum each year. (There are 42 gallons in a barrel.) About 59% of the petroleum transported by pipelines is crude oil (7.6 billion barrels) and the remainder (5.3 billion barrels) is in the form of refined petroleum products. The cost to transport a barrel of petroleum products from Houston to the New York harbor is about $1, or about 2 1/2 ¢ per gallon at your local gasoline station.

*Source: Association of Oil Pipelines