Rail plugs the gaps in North America’s oil network
Oil deliveries have been pushed onto flexible forms of transport, like rail and barges, which are able to cater for changing dynamics of production
The battle over the Keystone XL pipeline is just one manifestation of a realignment of North America’s oil transport infrastructure, triggered by marked regional differences in refining and pipeline capacity and which is having a profound effect on the strategies of both producers and refiners. The Obama administration continues to mull the environmental implications of building Keystone XL across the Canada-US border to complete a pipeline route to move heavy oil from Canadian oil sands to refineries capable of handling it on the US Gulf coast. But, as the deliberations continue, the companies involved are seeking new ways to transport their oil to market. Calgary-based Suncor Energy said
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
