As an energy sector executive working in Alberta’s flourishing oil and gas fields, pipelines are my bread and butter. They are incredibly important pieces of industrial infrastructure. As the continent’s main transmission system for petroleum and natural gas, they play a critical role in delivering the resources that power our daily lives.
Over the course of my twenty-plus-year career, it’s been my responsibility to oversee the construction of more than a few pipelines, including some of the larger and more prominent ones, including the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline, the North Montney Mainline, and the Coastal GasLink Pipeline. The fact that these projects were completed on time and on budget opened up a lot of doors for me in the business world.
I realize that the average person probably doesn’t know much about oil and gas pipelines, even though they make our way of life possible. So I thought I’d dedicate this entry to explaining what they do, how they work, and why we need them.
What Do Pipelines Do?
At their core, pipelines are responsible for transporting crude oil, natural gas, and other petroleum products over long distances, from production sites to refineries, distribution centers, or export terminals. From there, these fossil fuels are processed and then passed on to the businesses and everyday consumers who need them to meet their energy needs. Pipelines are a safe, efficient, and cost-effective way to move large quantities of fuel compared to alternatives like railway freight or trucking.
How Do They Work?
Pipelines are typically made of steel or heavy plastic designed to withstand high pressure and harsh weather conditions. They are equipped with pumps and compressors to keep everything flowing smoothly, and they’re monitored through sophisticated, hi-tech operating systems used to detect any potential issues, thus ensuring safety and efficiency. Some pipelines can stretch thousands of miles, and many are buried underground to minimize environmental disruption and human interference.
Why Do We Need Them?
Simply put, pipelines are essential to the functioning of modern economies. They ensure a steady, reliable supply of energy to locations throughout the continent. They provide fuel for everything from our homes and vehicles to the factories that manufacture consumer goods and all manner of other heavy industry. Without pipelines, transporting oil and gas would be far more expensive and inefficient, leading to higher costs for consumers and businesses alike.
So, there you go! A crash course in Pipelines. I sincerely hope this blog post helped to clear a few things up for anyone curious enough to type “What do pipelines do?” or some variation of that question into Google.
