Explorer Pipeline

In the late 1960s, ten competing oil companies came together with a single goal: build a safer, more efficient pipeline to transport petroleum products from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest. Eight of those companies—Apco Oil, Cities Service, Continental Oil, Gulf Oil, Phillips Petroleum, Shell Oil, Sun Oil, and Texaco—ultimately signed on as the founding shareholders of Explorer Pipeline. Facing predictions of declining domestic oil production, they forged ahead to create a 1,400-mile pipeline system. The first product began shipping on October 25, 1971, and construction finished in the spring of 1972, on time and under budget. The early years proved difficult as the Arab embargo of 1973 caused volumes to drop. In a bold move, Explorer became the first large-diameter pipeline to transport both crude oil and refined products in the same line, a method that required critical quality control and is still replicated today. This innovation paid off, and by 1977 the company's financials were improving. Today, Explorer Pipeline is a joint venture owned by Shell Midstream, MPLX, ET CC Holdings, and Phillips 66 Partners. It operates an 1,872-mile system that transports refined products like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from the Texas Gulf Coast to major markets including Dallas, St. Louis, and Chicago, serving as a critical piece of U.S. energy infrastructure.