Oil & Gas Transportation & Storage Industry Profile

Companies in this industry use pipelines to transport crude oil, refined petroleum products, and natural gas. Major companies include Energy Transfer Equity, Enterprise Products Partners, and Plains All American Pipeline (all based in the US); along with APA Group (Australia), Enbridge and TC Energy (both based in Canada), Engie (France), and Transneft (Russia).

Oil and gas are among the most important commodities within the energy and chemical industry. In 2021, the global volume of crude oil in seaborne trade reached about 2 billion metric tons, according to Statista. Trading of natural gas in liquefied form is essential for gas-producing countries, including Qatar and Australia.

The US oil and gas transportation and storage industry includes about 3,700 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $47 billion.

Recovery of oil and natural gas from wells is covered in the Oil & Gas Exploration & Production industry profile. Direct and wholesale natural gas distribution is covered in the Natural Gas Distribution & Marketing industry profile. Pipeline operators that specialize in transportation of crude oil, refined petroleum products, or natural gas are covered in separate industry profiles.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by economic activity and population growth, which drive energy use. The profitability of pipeline transporters depends largely on the volume and efficiency of their operations. Companies that operate multiple pipeline networks may enjoy economies of scale in ...