We have thousands and thousands and thousands of miles of pipelines in this country...I just don't get why is this particular one is considered a problem. Does it pose a relatively serious environmental impact that's well beyond the potential impact of other pipelines currently in existence?
I thought there were many alternative routes offered to avoid these "sensitive" areas. Am I wrong?It is the route they originally chose. It transversed over sensitive areas. Later the environmental issue became about tar sands. Their competitor which choose a far different route and hasn't had nearly as many problems. Their competitor is much farther ahead. Their competitors southern leg to Cushings will be done in 2015. Their Cushings to Port of Houston is still in the development phase.
Route the oil-carrying rail cars through the middle of a major city and see how quickly the pipeline gets builtWe have thousands and thousands and thousands of miles of pipelines in this country...I just don't get why is this particular one is considered a problem. Does it pose a relatively serious environmental impact that's well beyond the potential impact of other pipelines currently in existence?
So you're not allowed to run a pipeline through protected areas but you are allowed to run trains through them? That makes a lot of sense. Damn pipelines are dangerous. Sometimes people park their car on the pipeline and the oil crashes into it.I thought there were many alternative routes offered to avoid these "sensitive" areas. Am I wrong?
Far as I recall KXL is built to get oil from Canada to the gulf for export. Don't remember any onramps in the US
Quite a few refineries in the US gulf are looking to expand, ExxonMobil Beaumont is one of them.
[URL]http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/07/28/exxon-reportedly-considering-massive-beaumont.html[/URL]
Yup. One of the processing plant in southern Louisiana is expanding big time (I think it is between Lake Charles and Baton Rouge - can't remember the exact name and location) to process and ship all of those cheap gas from Texas and Louisiana shales to become NGL and sell them to Asia/EU.
The answer is right below your post (#121). Also, when we talk about a pipeline such as KXL, it is not just a "single" line run by itself but a network of pipes, interconecting at various points, and transport oil and gas from different locations in North America.
Here is my point =
For example, Cushing OK is a one of those connection points, and then of course the well know such as Houston of Texas and Port Arthur of Louisiana.
Yup. One of the processing plant in southern Louisiana is expanding big time (I think it is between Lake Charles and Baton Rouge - can't remember the exact name and location) to process and ship all of those cheap gas from Texas and Louisiana shales to become NGL and sell them to Asia/EU.
Cushing's is a major oil hub. There are lot of different pipelines that interconnect there. It is also home to the largest oil storage tanks in the world. Enbridges seaway pipeline will go from Cushings to Houston on a very similar path that Keystone XLs, Cushings to Houston Pipeline will go. Everyone goes on an on about Keystone XL, but there are competing pipelines, and Enbridge is so far beating TransCanada. TransCanada can keep threatening to take its ball and go home and start building a pipeline west through Canada(this is less likely than building one through the US), because the reality is tar sands will have access to US refiners through alternative pipelines that are years ahead of Keystone XL in terms of development.
Hail Mary Landrieu pass to getting reelected. But why is exporting Canadian sand oil popular in Louisiana, where it will compete with their own oil production?
This kind of bullshit is incredibly transparent...here's a big FU for Harry Reid.Mary is being tied up with Obama (97% voting record with BO per Cassidy), therefore, she is trying very hard to be seem as "acting tough" with BO to earn votes because this administration is not keen with the KXL project. Also, both Landrieu and Cassidy are trying very hard to push this KXL project so they can brag that they are all in for "oil jobs" and other oil related jobs such as processing, transportation, chemical related, etc. which are always big plus down here.
I'm kind of mixed on this. On the one hand, having worked some pipeline jobs, this thing will create a fuck-ton of construction jobs for a few years...always good for the economy...but on the other hand, since the main purpose of this pipeline is to transport CANADIAN oil to the US Gulf Coast to be shipped abroad, why the fuck should the American citizens support it? After all, WE will be responsible for clean-up costs in case of a major leak, (sure, the pipeline company MIGHT be eventually responsible...but that can take years and years) and since it will not do a thing to (a) reduce OUR dependence on "foreign" oil...and Canada IS a foreign country anyway...and (b) won't do a thing to lower our oil/gas prices...since any oil we do get from the pipeline will undoubtedly be sold to the refineries at world market prices...PLUS, with the potential for damage to some of the most important aquifers in North America...is it worth the chance...just to appease our Canadian neighbors?
Why doesn't Canada just build the pipeline to their own coast for shipment to other countries?
Because the primary market for tar sands is Europe and building a pipeline west doesn't reduce transportation costs enough for tar sands heading to Europe. They also thought it would be easier to build a pipeline through the US than through Western Canada. They need a pipeline to the gulf coast to dramatically reduce transportation costs to Europe, which reduces the risk involved in producing oil from tar sands.
Houston of Texas and Port Arthur of Louisiana.
Port Arthur is in Texas.
Which means jack shit to Americans. Why not build a pipeline to their east coast?
Let Canada deal with the environmental hassles and damages.
It would be one thing if the oil was earmarked for US markets...but, as you say, it's for Europe...so it's not our problem in any way.
Well, they share the same Sabine Lake so them Cajuns are claiming it..heheheh. I change my post above.