India ranks among top 5 countries in oil pipeline development

09:59 AM May 12, 2023 IST | Ground report

India is one of the leading countries in the construction of oil pipelines that are under construction or planned, according to an analysis by Global Energy Monitor, a non-profit organization that monitors energy projects.

In the category of pipelines under construction, India ranks second globally with a total length of 1,630 km. India ranks 10th with a total length of 1,194 km in the category of proposed pipelines.

The other countries that made it to the list of top pipeline developers, both under construction and proposed, are the United States, Iraq, Iran and Tanzania.

The global development of oil pipelines has experienced an increase of almost 30% compared to last year, with a total of 31,000 km underway.

The top five leading countries in pipeline development, both proposed and under construction, are the United States, India, Iraq, Iran and Tanzania. Major companies developing pipelines include state-owned companies and private companies, such as Iran's Oil Ministry, China National Petroleum Corporation, Iraq's Oil Ministry, India's Numaligarh Refinery Limited, and France's TotalEnergies.

The longest pipeline projects currently under construction are the Niger-Benin Pipeline, which covers a distance of 1,950 km, and India's Paradip Numaligarh Crude Oil Pipeline (PNCPL), which covers 1,950 km. Both projects are expected to start operations in 2024.

Canada is home to the third largest pipeline project under construction, the 980 km Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) pipeline, which is expected to start in 2023 as an expansion for the existing Trans Mountain pipeline.

Shifting focus to low-carbon energy

Baird Langenbrunner, project manager for Global Oil Infrastructure Tracker said, the expansion of crude oil pipelines in Africa and the Middle East is presented as a panacea for the turmoil in global energy demand, driven largely by Europe's quest for oil and gas from sources other than Russia.

However, this approach can result in these regions becoming entrenched in expensive infrastructure that will eventually need to be phased out, leaving them saddled with stranded assets.

Instead of focusing on building more crude oil pipelines, the solution is to redirect these funds toward building reliable, low-carbon power systems and transmission networks.