Is There a Pipeline Near You?

The easy answer to this question is that pipelines exist almost everywhere. Natural gas is delivered directly to homes in relatively small diameter lines buried under the street and even your own yard. Larger cross-country pipelines delivering gasoline, home heating oil or moving crude oil are actually easier to find.

Such lines are identified above the ground by markers that tell who the company is that operates the line, what type of material is being transported (say, petroleum products) and how to get in touch with the operator.

For more information on identifying pipelines visit Pipelines and You - Identifying Pipelines

The pipeline itself is most often buried under 3 or 4 feet of earth, although sometimes much deeper to go under rivers or roads and sometimes are shallow after years of erosion or newly dug ditches. The pipeline lies within an area called the pipeline right-of-way, which is kept clear of trees, buildings or other structures. You could take a walk in your neighborhood and if you have a pipeline nearby, you should see the markers, as well as be able to site your eye along the markers to see the pipeline right of way stretching off in the distance.

If you are interested in learning about pipelines in your community or those that serve the distribution terminals that supply the gasoline to your local service station, you can call your local fire department. Pipeline companies keep in touch with local emergency responders along pipeline rights-of-way and work with and sometimes even train with fire departments or hazardous materials units.

Currently, most federal sources of pipeline location information, such as the National Pipeline Mapping System and the Energy Information Agency, have removed specific pipeline location maps from public websites because of concerns related to safeguarding our national energy infrastructure from possible terrorist actions.