The Association of Oil Pipe Lines reports U.S. pipeline shipments of crude and products increased 1.78% in 1992, compared with 0.52% for all modes of crude and products transportation.
Water carriers delivered 3.68% fewer ton miles of crude and products in 1992, largely due to a drop in tanker shipments carrying Alaskan North Slope oil.
In 1992, pipelines accounted for 588.8 billion ton miles, or 54% of all crude and products shipments. Next was water carriers with 459.3 billion ton miles or 42%, motor carriers with 28.8 billion ton miles or 2.6%, and railroads with 14.8 billion ton miles or 1.4%.
AOPL data for the past 20 years show a relatively stable division of the shipping market between the four types of carriers, although shipments increased from 363 billion ton miles in 1973 to 647 billion in 1992.
In the crude oil transportation category, water carriers moved more crude than pipelines during the 1980s, when Alaskan oil shipments were at their peak.
Now, however, pipelines move 53% compared with 46% for tankers and barges.
Products shipments have dropped from 480 billion ton miles in 1973 to 444.6 billion in 1992. Pipelines' share of the total climbed from 205 billion or 43% in 1973 to 245.5 billion or 55.2% in 1993.
Water carriers fell from 49.5% to 35.5% while motor carriers and railroads have remained constant at 5-6% and 3%, respectively.
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