The best map I've seen showing crude oil train transport routes.

[MineralMan]

At the link below, you'll find an interactive map showing crude oil rail transport routes throughout the United States. You can select individual rail companies and other factors to customize the map. Does crude oil in tank cars pass near you? Well, if you live in most major U.S. cities, yes, it probably does. As you look at the map, which you can drag around by clicking and dragging the map, remember the recent disastrous derailings and fires from oil tank car trains. Is there one coming to you? Is your city prepared? If your city is on the map with one of the rail lines, you should be asking those questions of your local emergency officials. In to many cases, the answer will be that they are not really prepared for a major derailment and fire or explosion. Here's the link:

http://priceofoil.org/rail-map/

[JonLP24]

1. I agree 100%

Many thanks for that information. I live one major throughway away from the tracks on the map.

[MineralMan]

2. You're more than welcome.

A lot of people will be surprised to discover rail oil transport near where they live. I live in the Minneapolis St. Paul area, and we are a major hub for these trains, most of which originate in North Dakota.

[oldandhappy]

3. WOW Thank you for this information.

I sort of know this is happening, but seeing the map is still a shock. I appreciate your post.

[MineralMan]

4. We all need information, but it can be hard to find

at times. I'm glad to provide what I can.

[PCIntern]

5. One of those rail routes is within a mile

as the crow flies, or as the oil burns, of my home.

I'm just curious: how are we to get oil moved around if not for rail, roadway, or pipeline? The Star Trek Transporter is not yet up and running.

[JonLP24]

6. For me

If one absolutely has to be chosen pipeline. They're specifically designed to transport oil while oil companies are cutting corners on safety to transport by rail, responses to emergency situations are well established while by-rail isn't. I'm not sure how North Dakota tar sands would apply to Keystone but the proposed Keystone (if you fill like flipping thru over 100 PDF pages) it goes out of its way to avoid water (doesn't avoid it completely) for example a lake that is in its path, the lake in the proposed path chose to dig completely underneath the lake to run the pipeline under it. Wetland areas were trickier though.

By rail, none of that matters.

[MineralMan]

7. An excellent question. The answer is that the oil is going to move.

We depend on it for many things in our lives, from the fuel for our vehicles and the fuel that heats our homes to the electricity that powers our lives and every last thing we have that's made of plastic. The oil will move.

I'm about it moving as safely as possible. That's my priority. Maybe someday we won't need that oil, but I guarantee that it will not be during my lifetime. I'm an old man. We might reduce our demand for petroleum products, but we won't eliminate it. Not even in the lifetimes of anyone on DU today.

Move the oil as safely as possible. That's what I want.

[packman]

8. The whole thing lacks organization

I think they should just run some sort of pipeline down through the middle of the country and eliminate all those rail lines.

[MineralMan]

9. The thing is that there are refineries everywhere.

Before crude oil can be used, it has to be refined into the petroleum products we use. Refineries are located near major cities, since that's where the most fuel is used. It's not economical to transport gasoline, fuel oil, diesel oil around the country. So, crude oil is transported and then refined into the products we use.

The map at the link shows rail transport routes that carry crude oil. There is another map that shows all of the pipelines in the United States that carry crude oil, natural gas, and other petroleum products. Those pipelines are everywhere. Odds are that your home is heated with natural gas and that there is a pipeline running under the street in front of your house, with a branch coming right up to your natural gas meter. The pipeline on your street comes from a larger pipeline under some other street, and that larger pipeline is fed by an even larger one, and so on and so on.

There are pipelines from refineries to your nearest airport, too, delivering fuel for all those planes. There are pipelines everywhere.

It's all organized to deliver what people demand. It's pretty well organized, at that. It's not particularly well-maintained, of course, but it's organized. If it weren't, you'd have to drive a long way to pick up the fuel you need.

[niyad]

10. k and r for this important information