Advantages and Disadvantages of Pipeline Access

Oil and gas pipelines provide large-scale access to important resources, but there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to having access to these pipelines. As was seen in the scuttled Keystone XL pipeline project, differing opinions on pipeline access can have a big effect on the success or failure of projects, economic growth or decline for areas in which a pipeline operates and the economic outlook for pipeline workers.

Below are some advantages and disadvantages of pipeline access:

The Advantages of Pipeline Access

One big advantage of pipeline access is that it can provide faster transportation of resources. Energy producers that are located along a pipeline can often tap into the pipeline as energy flows along. To do this, however, a lot of infrastructure needs to be in place. This is not simply a matter of hooking up a hose and siphoning off oil or gas.

Another benefit of pipeline access is that it provides economic growth opportunities for workers and communities located along the pipeline. Because of the aforementioned infrastructure required to take advantage of pipeline access, entire regions benefit from the influx of money that follows a pipeline. To know more about the advantages of pipeline access, visit this website.

The Disadvantages of Pipeline Access

One of the biggest disadvantages of pipeline access is that having a pipeline in your community can spell disaster if an emergency takes place. Leaks and spills can cause huge amounts of damage to the health of local communities in and around a pipeline’s region. Additionally, pipeline leaks and spills can lead to serious damage to local ecosystems, harming natural habitats for animals and potentially polluting water supplies.

Another disadvantage of pipeline access is that regions may experience explosive growth, and this may be too much for some communities to bear at one time. The traffic and construction that comes along with pipeline access as well as the need for workers and worker housing can cause major headaches for urban planners in communities that are not built to withstand massive growth in a short amount of time.

Is Pipeline Access Good or Bad?

In determining whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of pipeline access, it comes down to whether or not a community is prepared to deal with the potential for growth and environmental threats. Pipeline access can provide major economic incentives for energy suppliers and local governments, but some communities are better suited for access to pipelines than others.

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