The next tank of fuel in your car is on its way to you. You can rely on it, even if the way there is sometimes difficult.
This journey could begin at one of hundreds of active Texas oil wells, mostly located in remote rural areas. The crude oil extracted from these sources is then transported to refineries far away and then to petrol stations, often further away. Much of the transportation depends on a vast network of pipelines, but the state’s rural highway network is another important link on the way to the gas pump.
This path was sometimes bumpy – literally and figuratively – thanks to a rapidly growing state, coupled with a robust energy industry. Improved production efficiency, persistently high crude oil prices, and rapid population growth have converged, resulting in greater amounts of gasoline and diesel available and more Texans in more cars and trucks wanting to use it.
Our almost insatiable thirst for fuel has brought great news on the work front, but has also made overtime on the country roads. There is much more and more traffic on these roads than they were intended to handle, not only from oil transports, but also from countless vehicles supporting drilling operations. The result is urban traffic collapse in rural areas.
That won’t change anytime soon. According to a recent report from IHS Markit, an industry research group, the Permian Basin could nearly double its crude oil production by 2023. If that happens, a single region of Texas would rank third in the world in production, behind only Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Fortunately, both public and private actors are working like never before to keep the path from the oil spill to the pump as clear and pothole-free as possible. The industry works with local leaders and the Texas Department of Transportation to find innovative solutions. It turns out that part of their collective thinking could be a model for addressing the challenges of urban transport.
- Producers provide insights into the changing truck journeys to keep up with advances in energy development techniques, as well as potential new drilling sites in the years to come. For example, improvements in energy development or extraction techniques may require more trucks to build or move sand and other products. Understanding these changes, and having a two to three year lead time for new drilling sites, makes it possible to consider things like the number and size of heavy trucks needed to support drilling activities and to secure and improve roads before new heavy ones Traffic is coming.
- Engineers reduce traffic collapse and move more traffic in ways that sometimes run counter to known patterns, such as: The Texas A&M Transportation Institute uses advanced data tools to identify travel patterns and new designs to reduce congestion.
- Safety experts from TxDOT and TTI are investigating where and how accidents with commercial vehicles occur more often. What we learn can help the energy industry put in place programs and policies that help address driver behavior issues (such as excessive fatigue).
The energy sector is of course vital to the Texan economy. It is big. More than 200,000 jobs large. More than 800 million barrels of oil a year in size. Billions in tax revenue for state coffers large.
It’s personal too. The safety of our jobs and the safety of our families on the road are ultimately most important.
Because of this, energy producers and TxDOT will continue to work together (especially in rural Texas) to ensure your car or truck – and your state – never runs the risk of running out of water.
Disclosure: The Texas A&M Transportation Institute is a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the journalism of the Tribune. You can find a full list of them here.
