Crane, TX, entered the 20th century with a population of only 51 people but a staggering 21,400 cattle and sheep, reflecting its ranching roots. Established as a railway station along the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railway (KCM&O) in 1911, Crane initially relied on ranching and the railroad industry. However, the discovery of oil in the Permian Basin in 1926 drastically shifted its economic landscape, turning Crane into a bustling oil boomtown. And that was just the beginning. In today’s RBN blog, we look at the central role Crane plays in bringing crude from the prolific Permian to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Join us at our historic 20th School of Energy!
School of Energy: Foundations is a two day, in person conference designed to help energy professionals better understand the forces shaping crude oil, natural gas, NGLs, refined products, and petrochemicals.
Attendees will learn from RBN experts, work with Excel based analytical models, participate in Q&As, and network with industry peers.
Build the foundation to better navigate volatile energy markets.
Both Crane County and the city of Crane were named for William Carey Crane, a Baptist minister, editor and the founder of Baylor University. By the 1920s, the West Texas municipality had become a magnet for thousands of land speculators, workers and fortune-seekers, causing a rapid population surge, which peaked at 3,796 in 1960. Today, Crane remains a vital center for Crane County oil production. But Crane is much more than that — its inbound and outbound pipelines, storage facilities and interconnections now play a key role in moving Permian crude to market.
Figure 1. Permian Crude Oil Pipelines. Source: RBN Crude Oil Permian
So, how does the Crane area (dashed red oval in Figure 1 above) fit into the broader oil infrastructure context? Like Wink — but located further downstream and to the southeast — Crane’s significance stems from its role as a central hub for Permian oil transport. (Both hubs benefited from the same regional boom; for more on Wink, see Dream Baby, the first blog in this series).
Join Backstage Pass to Read Full Article
About the song
“The Ties That Bind” was written by Bruce Springsteen and appears as the first song on side one of his fifth studio album, The River. Springsteen wrote the song in October 1978 when on the Darkness Tour and performed it every night of the final two months of the tour. It was recorded at the Power Station in New York City in April 1979. Personnel on the record were: Bruce Springsteen (vocals, six and twelve-string electric guitars), Clarence Clemons (saxophone), Steven Van Zant (guitars), Garry Tallent (bass), and Max Weinberg (drums).
The River was recorded between March 1979 and August 1980 at the Power Station in New York City and produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Steven Van Zant. Springsteen was trying to reproduce how his band sounded live on the album, with more of an emphasis on heartland rock and roll. The double LP was released in October 1980 and became #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. It has been certified 5x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Seven singles were released from the LP.
Bruce Springsteen is an American rock singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Nicknamed, “the Boss,” he is considered a pioneer of the heartland rock genre. He is New Jersey’s answer to Detroit’s heartland rocker, Bob Seger. Springsteen’s professional career goes back to 1965 when he was the singer and guitarist for a New Jersey rock band, The Castilles. He later formed Steel Mill, the Asbury Park band that featured three future E Street Band members in its ranks. In 1972 Springsteen had an audition with Columbia Records exec John Hammond which led to a record deal. He released his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., in October 1972. He has released 21 studio albums, 23 live albums, eight compilation albums, eight soundtrack albums, seven EPs, and 77 singles. He has sold more than 140 million records worldwide. He has won an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, 20 Grammy Awards, and a Tony Award. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Kennedy Center Honors. He continues to record and tour and is currently on the Bruce Springsteen E Street Band 2024 World Tour.
