Metro-East News

Here’s what we know about the oil pipeline that leaked in Edwardsville

A pipeline spilled more than 163,000 gallons of oil, or about 3,900 barrels, in Edwardsville on Friday. What do we know about the pipeline itself?

The pipeline is operated by Marathon Pipe Line LLC, a company based in Ohio. It is called the Wood River to Patoka crude oil pipeline, which describes the two points it connects with the flow of oil. It is 22 inches in diameter and 57 miles long, according to Marathon.

The National Pipeline Mapping System shows the pipeline passes through Madison and Bond counties in the metro-east, including Roxana, Edwardsville and Pocahontas on the way east to Patoka in Marion County.

The pipeline mapping system is from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Marathon did not answer questions from the Belleville News-Democrat about how old the Wood River to Patoka pipeline is or what volume of oil passes through it.

A 2019 annual report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission stated that the pipeline had a capacity of 360,000 barrels per day as of Dec. 31, 2018. That equals more than 15 million gallons, based on 42 gallons per barrel.

More recent SEC filings do not mention the Wood River to Patoka pipeline’s capacity.

This screengrab from the National Pipeline Mapping System shows the following in Madison County: the yellow line is the pipeline that leaked oil Friday, March 11, 2022, in Edwardsville; the red lines are other pipelines that transport hazardous liquid; and the blue lines are other pipelines that transport gas.
This screengrab from the National Pipeline Mapping System shows the following in Madison County: the yellow line is the pipeline that leaked oil Friday, March 11, 2022, in Edwardsville; the red lines are other pipelines that transport hazardous liquid; and the blue lines are other pipelines that transport gas. U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 11:11 AM.

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