Dealing With Pipeline on Property

badlander · #1 09/17/14, 08:21 AM

There have been threads recently about buying or living on homesteading property that has a major pipeline running through it. I thought I would pass on what happened to us yesterday and maybe it will calm some fears.

We have a BP pipeline running diagonally through our property behind our house. It's there, we don't think much of it being there, it's sorta like having a big tree in the middle of the pasture. You just walk around it without really seeing it, yet you know it's there.

Yesterday we were out looking at the ravine behind our house. We had 9 inches of rain last week and things were pretty flooded. Towards the beginning of the ravine, we noticed something. There was an exposed length of pipeline running across the ravine at it's origin, fully exposed to air. It looked like the heavy rain had washed out the dirt around it. Nothing was leaking from it, the pipe looked intact, so I did as we were instructed and called 'Dig Mo' and reported the exposed pipe. Within 30 minutes a rep from BP was calling us. I told him what we had found and asked him if he thought it was worth him checking on and he immediately said YES and he would here in about an hour and a half.

He was. It turned out he is a neighbor of sorts, just living up the road but he is in charge of over 100 miles of pipeline in our area. He geared up, grabbed a camera and we took him back to the ravine. His response was WHOW, you have a piece of history here. He proceeded to tell us the story behind our exposed pipeline. It was the original pipeline laid by Rockefeller and Standard Oil Company in 1908. The pipe was laid by hand, man and mule power used to clear the land, dig the deep trenches and construct the line from Oklahoma to Indiana. The pipe was dormant and what we had was an artifact that was probably left behind when they pulled up the pipe...or not. It was in no way a hazard to us or our property but it might at some point leak remaining oil. If it did, call BP and they would come out, remove the pipe and do clean up for us.

He gave us a history lesson about the pipeline on our property. Showed us where it was and what was running through it, told us how they keep an eye on it. They are actually quite diligent and have some strict laws and rules that they have to follow. It was highly interesting and very informative.

We asked him questions about what our rights were such as, if we wanted to put in a gravel drive way over the pipe line could we? And he answered 'sure! just give us a call, we will come out, check the depth of the pipe where you want to cross and if you need more soil, we will bring it in and cover it for you and you will be good to go!.

He was very accommodating and we walked away impressed and at ease. Having BP as a neighbor is a lot better than some of the neighbors we have had to live with in the past. SO if you have a pipe line, or contemplating buying property with a pipeline on it, rest easy. There are worse things than having one run across your property.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 09/17/14, 08:24 AM

Thank you!

AmericanStand · #3 09/17/14, 08:36 AM

They are very fast to react to anything that might open up a pipe.
Ive had them shut down a site I was using a trackhoe on AFTER I had my Julie ! One of their planes flew the pipeline and saw my equipment.
I was down for a week even though I was on a separate property 600 feet away.

badlander · #4 09/17/14, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmericanStand

They are very fast to react to anything that might open up a pipe.
Ive had them shut down a site I was using a trackhoe on AFTER I had my Julie ! One of their planes flew the pipeline and saw my equipment.
I was down for a week even though I was on a separate property 600 feet away.

Definitely will happen. He explained to us that when their surveillance plane sees any excavation equipment sitting even near the pipeline it sets off a red alert for them. The pilots are working using strictly visual scanning. The reason he hadn't spotted our exposed pipe was because of it's location and the underbrush secluding it. At least he went away knowing that they were partnered with diligent and observant land owners.

Molly Mckee · #5 09/17/14, 10:25 AM

We had a gas pipe going thorough our pasture when we lived in TX.I noticed a small gas leak one morning where it crossed a ravine. I called the company and they had a crew there, by helicopter, in 15 minutes. That was the only problem that property ever had, and it was in one of the first piped areas in TX.

haypoint · #6 09/17/14, 10:41 AM

In SW Michigan there was a pipeline break that gushed for hours and took months to clean up.
Speaking of pipeline, there's lots of talk about the pipeline from Canada to Texas. It is high pressure, heated, tar sands. Will make it easier to get the oil to existing refineries that will then export the fuel. By-products remain here. Won't reduce fuel costs in the US. Only jobs will be laying pipe, after that we get to "baby-sit" the pipe. No big benefit for US.

SteveD(TX) · #7 09/17/14, 10:48 AM

For many years we owned some land near Athens, TX that had the historic Magnolia Oil (became Mobil) crude pipeline that ran from the Kilgore area to Corsicana, TX. It was laid in 1932. Never any problems and it only impacted about 3 acres of our property.

Ironically, we sold that land to a young man who digs pipelines for a living.

Michael W. Smith · #8 09/17/14, 11:05 AM

What a nice story. And it's nice to see a story where the "big guys" and the small landowner get along just fine.

We have 2 gas pipelines that go across our property. One is a 6" line that was put in about 10 years ago. You wouldn't know it's even there except for the couple of risers along the line.

The other one is a 2" - 3" pipe that is old. Part of it sits on top of the dirt in our woods and varies from buried to laying along the top. It has been there for quite awhile and about 15 years ago, I discovered a leak. I called the company and it took them several weeks to send somebody out to fix it - and do you know how they fixed it? By banding a piece of rubber around the old metal pipe - and it's still that way today!

badlander · #9 09/17/14, 11:54 AM

What I really found interesting was the mental image that the rep drew for me when he talked about how the original line was laid in 1908. He said he wished he was there to see that, all those men, plows and mules clearing and breaking the ground for the original trench then digging the trench out to the required depth then screwing these heavy length of pipes into place by hand. A lot different than it is done today.

I wish we had been around to see it too!

Michael W. Smith · #10 09/17/14, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badlander

What I really found interesting was the mental image that the rep drew for me when he talked about how the original line was laid in 1908. . . . . all those men, plows and mules clearing and breaking the ground for the original trench then digging the trench out to the required depth then screwing these heavy length of pipes into place by hand.

Hard back breaking work. Yeah, can you imagine the men of today having to do that? If only there wasn't oil left in the pipe, and if only you could dig it up, cut it up and sell it - either as a collectible antique pipe - or if it wouldn't sell, at least get scrap value for it!!

fordy · #11 09/17/14, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael W. Smith

What a nice story. And it's nice to see a story where the "big guys" and the small landowner get along just fine.

We have 2 gas pipelines that go across our property. One is a 6" line that was put in about 10 years ago. You wouldn't know it's even there except for the couple of risers along the line.

The other one is a 2" - 3" pipe that is old. Part of it sits on top of the dirt in our woods and varies from buried to laying along the top. It has been there for quite awhile and about 15 years ago, I discovered a leak. I called the company and it took them several weeks to send somebody out to fix it - and do you know how they fixed it? By banding a piece of rubber around the old metal pipe - and it's still that way today!

..........Why haven't you contacted the federal agency that monitors and establishes the regs for pipeline safety and management ? You should also publish pics of the exposed pipeline on you tube ! I would think an exposed pipeline would devalue your property considerably should you decide to sell . I'd also be seeking a reduction in the property tax valuation as well . , fordy

arabian knight · #12 09/17/14, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael W. Smith

By banding a piece of rubber around the old metal pipe - and it's still that way today!

Well it must have been a good material they used to bond that around the pipe as it is still not leaking some 15 years later. Good work if it is lasting this long.

badlander · #13 09/17/14, 05:19 PM

To add icing to the cake, I went out to the mail box this morning to find a BP gift bag waiting there for us. Inside, two pairs of leather work gloves, a tape measure, ink pens, and a flashlight. Cool score!

DH said the same thing. Our exposed pipe is 8 inch steel. Shame we can't recycle it.

simi-steading · #14 09/17/14, 06:00 PM

I've got a pipeline that runs on my back property line... I recently got a letter they would be clearing the right of way.. Makes me happy because that means that many less Autumn Olives I gotta take out..

I also have to go take a class next week concerning pipelines, how to ID them and I guess how to deal with broken ones.. Not sure.. first time I gotta take the class, but I'm old to pick up all the free stuff they pass out to bring back to the department fr all the other guys.. seems they all like the trinkets all the oil companies give out at the class..

I have no worries about a pipeline on my property, or the big oil companies in the area. They are all good people... What I do have a problem with is the second rate owner of the well on my property that I get free gas from.. I'm no happy with him at the moment since he has taken parts from the pump jack that's left it un-pumpable.. He's supposedly in the middle of selling it... and never asked me if I wanted to buy it...

Anyway, that's a whole different worry and can of worms.. Pipelines I'm all good with..

bellcow · #15 09/17/14, 08:22 PM

Pipelines are not all regulated the same. Interstate pipeline have different regs than intrastate pipelines. Oil different from gas and gas different from gasoline.

Badlander,
One thing to check about the abandoned pipeline, does BP still own it. Sounds like they do but if its an abandoned pipe on abandoned row it may have reverted back to the landowner, you. Also, did he say it was a " coupled" line. I'm just curious because of the age of the pipe. Old lines like that are sometimes left buried and become the landowners pipe. I was called about a section that was uncovered in a church parking lot. An 10" line that had been abandoned for 25 years. I was instructed not to even offer what was the best way to cut the pipe because of possible future liability.

Smart pipeline reps want to get along with land owners. It makes thier job easier. They may even be homesteaders.

I worked for a gas company that layed a 20" pipeline back in 1920 and 1930 by hand. Ran the last section from Birmingham, Al to Atlanta, Ga. In 30 days. Talking about time when men wanted to work and there wasn't any handouts.

Bellcow

badlander · #16 09/18/14, 07:03 AM

Bellcow, BP still owns the pipeline. It is not the only kid on the block so to speak, just an old defunct line that is cheaper to leave in the ground than dig up. As stated, this particular pipeline route had been in existence for over 100 years now.

Semi-steading, that stinks. If they would offer us what is in our pipeline we would gladly accept it. We have diesels that will run on just about anything. Have you contacted the owner and made him an offer on the well? I would. He might appreciate an easy sale.

simi-steading · #17 09/18/14, 07:46 AM

I had told him originally if he ever sold it I'd be interested in buying it... He's selling 20 some wells as a package deal to a small local guy that formed an oil company...

The guy selling isn't real well liked in the area, and he's from around here.. I was told to watch my back with him, and sure enough, everyone was right...