Seaway Pipeline
{{Infobox pipeline
| name = Seaway Pipeline
| type = Oil
| photo =
| caption =
| map =
| country = United States
| state = Oklahoma
Texas
| province =
| coordinates =
| lat =
| long =
| direction = North-South
| start = Cushing, Oklahoma
| through =
| finish = Jones Creek, Texas (adjacent to Freeport, Texas)
| par =
| owner = Enterprise Partners
Enbridge
| partners =
| operator = Seaway Crude Pipeline Company LLC
| technical_service_provider =
| contractors =
| construction = 1974
| est = 23 November 1976
| decom =
| length =
| length_mi = 760
| discharge =
| discharge_bbl_d = 0.4
| diameter_mm =
| diameter_in = 30
| compressor_stations_no =
| compressor_stations =
| pumping_stations_no =
| pumping_stations =
}}
The Seaway Crude Pipeline System (SCPS), commonly known as the Seaway Pipeline, is an oil pipeline system which transports crude oil between Cushing, Oklahoma and Freeport, Texas, and through the Texas City, Texas Terminal and Distribution System on the Gulf Coast of the United States. The Seaway is an important crude oil transfer link between two petroleum regions within the United States.{{cite web|title=PADD regions enable regional analysis of petroleum product supply and movements|url=http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=4890#|publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration|accessdate=27 December 2012}}
Although Seaway shipped oil north (to Cushing) for many years, in June 2012 the flow of the system was reversed to ship oil south (out of Cushing).
History
The Seaway Pipeline was originally built by a consortium of oil industry firms formed in 1974 named Seaway Pipeline, Inc. for transferring (then) cheap foreign oil from Texas ports to refineries in the Midwest. After two years of construction, the system became operational on 23 November 1976, and pumped crude oil north until 1982.{{cite journal|last=Bazin|first=G.L|author2=Ince, R. |title=The Seagas pipeline|journal=Pipeline Gas Journal|date=1 Feb 1986|volume=213|issue=2}}
In 1984, the other consortium members were bought out by Phillips. Seeking to capitalize on the pipeline's location to gather raw natural gas in Oklahoma and Texas for transport to the company's refinery complex at Sweeny, Texas, and other refineries near Houston, Phillips converted the system to ship natural gas south instead of shipping crude oil north. Phillips called that arrangement the "Seagas Pipeline".
In 1995, Atlantic Richfield bought a 50% interest from Conoco through a subsidiary (ARCO Pipeline), and the system was converted from shipping natural gas south to shipping oil north to Cushing in 1996.
In 2000, Texas Eastern Products Pipeline Company (TEPP or TEPPCO), an indirect subsidiary of Duke Energy through TEPPCO Partners, bought the stock of ARCO Pipeline, acquiring their 50% interest in the system, and became the primary operator.{{cite web|last=Wostmann|first=Alexander|title=Duke acquires Arco Pipe Line|url=http://www.gasandoil.com/news/n_america/d1fa1ad57183a61fdb24bb3383ed7575|publisher=Alexander’s Gas & Oil Connections|accessdate=27 December 2012}}
In 2005, Texas Eastern Products Pipeline, was acquired by Enterprise Products Partners L.P. in 2005, and Enterprise Products became the system operator with a 50% stake.{{cite web|title=FTC Challenges Deal Between Enterprise Products Partners and TEPPCO|url=http://ftc.gov/opa/2006/08/teppco.shtm|publisher=U.S. Federal Trade Commission|accessdate=27 December 2012}}
In late 2011, Canadian pipeline company Enbridge bought Conoco's remaining 50% interest in the company for $1.15 billion. The Seaway Crude Pipeline Company LLC (a joint venture between Enterprise Products and Enbridge) became the pipeline's operator.{{cite web|title=Enbridge buys $1.15B Seaway oil pipeline stake|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/enbridge-buys-1-15b-seaway-oil-pipeline-stake-1.994537|publisher=The Canadian Press|access-date=27 December 2012}}
In late May 2012, the Seaway's flow was reversed, and crude began arriving at Freeport on 6 June 2012.{{cite news|title=Seaway pipeline sends oil to Texas in historic reversal|date=19 May 2012|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-seaway-startup-idUSBRE84I0EC20120519|work=Reuters|accessdate=27 December 2012|last1=Nichols|first1=Bruce}}{{cite web|last=Philips|first=Matthew|title=Unlocking the Crude Oil Bottleneck at Cushing|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-16/unlocking-the-crude-oil-bottleneck-at-cushing|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517012300/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-16/unlocking-the-crude-oil-bottleneck-at-cushing|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 17, 2012|publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek|accessdate=1 January 2013}}
On January 11, 2013, the Seaway's capacity was increased to {{convert|400000|oilbbl/d}}.{{cite news|title=Oil price jumps as Seaway pipeline launches|url=http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/01/14/oil-price-jumps-as-seaway-pipeline-expansion-comes-on-line/|newspaper=Houston Chronicle| agency = Bloomberg |date = 14 January 2013|accessdate=19 January 2013}}
On January 30, 2017, a Texas Department of Transportation crew accidentally dug into the Seaway Pipeline near Blue Ridge, Texas, causing a large spill.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kxii.com/content/news/BREAKING-Ruptured-pipeline-near-Blue-Ridge-spews-oil--412209343.html|title = Blue Ridge pipeline spill affecting flow of oil nationally}} On January 30, 2017, a road crew punctured the Seaway pipeline near Dallas. Two days later, it was unclear how much oil had spilled over the nearby Highway 121. After the incident, supply concerns reportedly helped push oil prices 2% higher.{{Citation
| last =Molinski
| first = Dan
| date =January 31, 2017
| title =Shutdown of Texas Pipeline Boosting Oil Prices
| publisher =Wall Street Journal
| publication-place =New York City
| url =https://www.wsj.com/articles/shutdown-of-texas-pipeline-boosting-oil-prices-1485880455
| accessdate =February 1, 2017
}}
Details
As of June 2012, the entire system is {{convert|670|mi}} long, of which, {{convert|500|mi}} are in the {{convert|30|in}} long-haul (Cushing to Freeport) portion of the pipeline. The system was then capable of carrying approximately {{convert|180000|oilbbl/d}} of oil.
Expansion plans
Plans have been announced{{cite web|title=Seaway Pipeline Project|publisher=Seaway Crude Pipeline Company LLC|url=http://seawaypipeline.com/|accessdate=27 December 2012}} to increase Seaway's capacity to {{convert|400000|oilbbl/d}} in 2013 (completed as of 11 January 2013) and, in 2014, adding {{convert|450000|oilbbl/d}} additional capacity via a "twin" long-haul pipeline. As well as for an {{convert|85|mi}} lateral to the ECHO crude storage facility in southwest Houston and the Port Arthur/Beaumont refining complex.
Competition
Several competing pipelines between Cushing and the Houston region have been proposed over the years, no other directly competing pipeline has yet been built. Although there is one larger pipeline which also connects the midwest with the Gulf Coast, the Capline, but which bypasses Cushing. The {{convert|40|in}} Capline has been pumping offshore oil north from Louisiana to Patoka, Illinois since the 1960s.{{cite web|title=Going With The Flow|url=http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424053111903715504577305590596244600.html|publisher=Barron's|accessdate=1 January 2013}}
However, planning for Phase 3 (a.k.a. the "Southern Leg", "Cushing MarketLink", or "Gulf Coast Pipeline Project") of the proposed Keystone XL show that it would run {{convert|435|mi}} from Cushing to Nederland, Texas near Port Arthur, where it could tie into an existing {{convert|47|mi}} pipeline to the Houston area.{{cite web|title=Gulf Coast Pipeline Project|url=http://www.transcanada.com/gulf-coast-pipeline-project.html|publisher=TransCanada|accessdate=27 December 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121135703/http://transcanada.com/gulf-coast-pipeline-project.html|archivedate=21 January 2013}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://seawaypipeline.com/ Seaway Crude Petroleum Company LLC] owner and operator
- [http://abarrelfull.wikidot.com/seaway-crude-oil-pipeline Seaway Crude Oil Pipeline] description on "A Barrel Full" wiki
{{Enbridge (corporation)}}
Category:Crude oil pipelines in the United States
Category:Petroleum in Oklahoma
Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1976