Thursday, June 17, 2010

The Gulf Coast And The Spatial Distribution of Oil And Gas and Products Pipelines

The marrow of the bone is where blood is created, and then it is distributed throughout the body by the circulatory system to maintain and nourish it. America's hydrocarbon energy system is similar in model.




I once worked for a place that had the CEO of The Major Pipeline Corp. on its board of governance. As a geographer listening to him I learned a lot about how the control of the distribution controlled not only production but consumption.


When you look at these spatial representations of the oil and gas distribution systems in the United States note the importance of the Louisiana Gulf Coast and the Houston/Port Author, Texas areas as the entry point of much of the non-continental hydrocarbons.



As you watch the BP fiasco develop along the Gulf Coast try to understand that it is a multidimensional problem that will eventually touch every home in North America.

To view the Map details click on them to enlarge. Sources are on the maps themselves.

3 comments:

drlobojo said...

Oh yes and one reminder, As I have said before, Oil is a commodity, there is no American Oil, only Oil. Those pipeline systems flow both ways. Energy Independence from Oil means NOT USING OIL at all. Now that is impossible. Cut back, cut down, re-prioritize, but every quart of "American " Oil will be sold on a World Market and we like everyone else buy ours there. Oil has no borders nor nationality.

Anonymous said...

Oil is not just energy. Oil is the source of literally 100's of thousands of basic material we take for granted. materials that are indispensable in our daily lives.
Plastics,ranging from car interiors to furnishings, bearings medical supplies to clothing,medicine, paint, and chemicals, asphalt, fertilizer, I could go on.
Notwithstanding, the last time I checked, Airplanes do not run on solar panels or wind mills. And most likely never will. When we are starving our economy of oil, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Climate change is a hoax.
The ice age ended on earth when there were no humans here.

drlobojo said...

Wow thanks Anon...I don't think my post had anything to do with anything you said, I don't mind helping you earn money as a BP oil troll thpugh. But you are wrong about humans and the Ice age unless you troll for the SBC and have to believe in the 6000 year stuff.