Trans-Arabian Pipeline
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The Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline), was an
History
Construction of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline began in 1947 and was mainly managed by the American company
The Syrian government initially opposed the plan. Four days after a military coup that overthrew democratic rule the deal was ratified. The coup's leader Husni al-Za'im was overthrown and murdered 136 days later, but the project was unstoppable.[4]
During the
Since the 1967 Six-Day War, the section of the pipeline which runs through the Golan Heights came under Israeli control, though the Israelis permitted the pipeline's operation to continue. The pipeline was attacked and damaged by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine on 31 May 1969.[3] Due to the attack tons of oil spilt into the Sea of Galilee and both Aramco and the Saudi government lost significant revenues.[3]
After years of constant arguing between Saudi Arabia and Syria and Lebanon over transit fees, the emergence of oil
Technical features
The Trans-Arabian Pipeline was 1,214 kilometres (754 mi) long with a diameter of 30 inches (760 mm) and 31 inches. When constructed, it was the world's largest oil pipeline system. The initial capacity of the pipeline was 300,000 barrels per day (48,000 m3/d) (bpd), eventually rising to a maximum capacity of about 500,000 bbl/d (79,000 m3/d) with the addition of several more pumping stations. While the pipeline was considered groundbreaking and innovative at the time it was built, were it still operational to this day it would be considered somewhat outdated — nowadays, most modern long-distance pipelines constructed beginning in the second half of the twentieth century have been built to a diameter of 42 inches (1,070 mm) or 48 inches (1,220 mm) and are thus able to transport considerably more crude oil per day than Tapline did in its heyday. The pipeline was supplied from the oil fields near Abqaiq.[citation needed]
The Tapline corridor has remained a potential export route for Persian Gulf oil exports to Europe and the United States. At least one analysis has indicated that the transportation cost of exporting oil via the Tapline through Haifa to Europe would cost as much as 40 percent less than shipping by tanker through the Suez Canal. In early 2005, rehabilitation of the Tapline at an estimated cost of US$100 to US$300 million was one of the strategic options being considered by the Jordanian government to meet oil needs.[citation needed]
Pipeline company
The pipeline was built and operated by the Trans-Arabian Pipeline Company. It was founded as a
Tapline Road
For the Israeli Road see: Petroleum Road
Tapline Road is the major east-west two lane highway running the length of Saudi Arabia from Turaif, on Saudi Arabia's border with Jordan, in the west, to Qaisumah, on the Persian Gulf, in the east. It was so named because it parallels the Trans-Arabian Pipeline. The Tapline Road was, on average, only 50 kilometers from Saudi Arabia's northern border[7] for a distance of 514 miles or 827.2 kilometers.[8] Initially only a dirt and gravel road used by ARAMCO and the Saudi Government it was widened and paved by 1965 due to use by civilian and commercial traffic. It was incorporated into the Saudi Highway system in 1965[9] when it was extended into Dammam. Since Tapline Road is a semi-private road mostly maintained by Aramco, and has been assigned the number 6335 until it meets Highway 85 (King Fahd Road) where-after it is maintained by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Transport, it remains Highway 85 until near the Jordanian border where it meets Highway 65, in Qurayyat and crosses the Jordanian Border at Umari and becomes Jordanian Highway 30.[10] Tapline Road/Highway 85 is deemed one of the most dangerous roads in the world due to its straightness.[11][12]
See also
- East–West Crude Oil Pipeline
- Arab Gas Pipeline
- Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline, active 1935–1948
- Petroleum Road
- March 1949 Syrian coup d'état
References
- ^ Adam Zeidan. "Saudi Aramco". Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- ^ "Contracts Let for Big Oil Pipeline in Arabia". Pacific Marine Review. March 1947. p. 114.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-030-56182-6.
- ISBN 9781471139796.
- ^ "Big Inch Lines Through Turkey Studied". The Oil and Gas Journal. Vol. 54, no. 83. 3 December 1956. p. 67.
- ^ "Eastern Mediterranean. Oil". Energy Information Agency. October 2006. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
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(help) - ^ "Børre Ludvigsen Web Archive".
- ^ "Saudi Aramco World : Desert Road".
- ^ "Saudi Aramco World : Desert Road".
- ^ "Tapline Rd · Saudi Arabia".
- ^ "Longest straight roads in the world".
- ^ "top 5 longest straight roads". 24 May 2017.