Rail plugs the gaps in North America’s oil network
Oil deliveries have been pushed onto flexible forms of transport, like rail and barges, which are able to cater for changing dynamics of production
The battle over the Keystone XL pipeline is just one manifestation of a realignment of North America’s oil transport infrastructure, triggered by marked regional differences in refining and pipeline capacity and which is having a profound effect on the strategies of both producers and refiners. The Obama administration continues to mull the environmental implications of building Keystone XL across the Canada-US border to complete a pipeline route to move heavy oil from Canadian oil sands to refineries capable of handling it on the US Gulf coast. But, as the deliberations continue, the companies involved are seeking new ways to transport their oil to market. Calgary-based Suncor Energy said
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US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment






