IC6016 Survey of Petroleum Pipe Lines and Storage Capacity of Crude Oil and Refined Products

A survey of the petroleum pipe lines by the Bureau of Mines as of May 1, 1923, shows that on that date there was a total of slightly more than 90,000 miles of pipe lines in the United States, having a capacity of approximately 15,750,000 barrels, which is equivalent to one-fourth of the nation's average production for one month. These lines varied in diameter from 2 to 16 inches, the weighted average being 6 inches. The total pipe-line milenge was about equally divided between trunk lines and gathering lines, though the capacity of the former was about four times that of the latter. This was due, of course, to the difference in average diameter, that for the former being 7.4 inches as compared with 3.7 inches for the latter. The common size for trunk lines was 8 inches, and for gathering lines 2 inches. Oklahora, with 19,180 miles of pipe lines, is the leading State in total mileage, with Texas second and Pennsylvania third. From point of trunk lines alone Texas is considerably ahead of any of the other States, a position which it owes to its size and to the growth in the rovement to its Gulf ports. Cali- fornia, though the leading State from point of production, ranks only seventh in pipe-line mileage. This is due to the fortunate location of the Los Angeles Basin fields, some of which are within sight of the refineries to which their oil is delivered or of the port of San Pedro through which their oil is shipped. The last survey of this nature, made in the spring of 1924 by the U. S. Geological Survey, recorded a total mileage of nearly 83,000 with a capacity of approximately 14,450,000 barrels. This indicates an increase of 9 per cent in both mileage and capacity during the two years.