The three co-owners of the 1.2-MMb/d Capline Pipeline from St. James, LA, to Patoka, IL, have begun assessing whether there is sufficient shipper interest in reversing the flow of one of the U.S.’s largest crude oil pipelines in the early 2020s. There are good reasons both for ending Capline’s long run as a northbound-flowing pipe and for repurposing the pipeline to help transport heavy western Canadian oil and other crudes south to refineries in eastern Louisiana and Mississippi and to export markets. But there also are logical questions to ask, such as why Capline’s owners envision sending only 300 Mb/d south on the pipe, and why they don’t see the reversal occurring for five years. Today, we examine the forces behind Capline’s possible reversal and the benefits that flipping the pipe’s direction might provide.
The Astros’ 5-1 win last night in the seventh game of the 2017 World Series capped off an incredible year for the team, and provided a welcome boost to the Houston area, parts of which are still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. Houston Strong! The Astros accomplished a lot in the post-season. For one, they became the first Major League Baseball (MLB) team to win a pennant in both the National League (in 2005) and the American League (a couple of weeks ago). For another, in their 10th-inning, 13-12 win in Game 5 on Sunday, the Astros became the first team in World Series history to have five different players hit homers. (Game 2 wasn’t bad either!) In many ways it was inevitable — or at least not very surprising — that the Astros and the Dodgers would end up in the World Series this year. After all, both teams had won more than 100 games during the regular season, a feat that only seven other teams have accomplished so far this century.
Canadian crude output is rising, requiring new export routes. As traditional pathways face constraints, the U.S. Rockies—especially the Guernsey, WY hub—are emerging as key corridors for moving Canadian heavy crude to downstream markets, including the Gulf Coast.
There was also a sense of inevitability in the October 17, 2017, announcement that Capline co-owners Plains All American (which holds a ~54% stake), Marathon Petroleum (~33%) and BP (~13%) had agreed to launch a non-binding open season to assess shipper interest in the proposed reversal of the pipeline. Through the open season, which runs until November 17, 2017, the co-owners and Capline operator Marathon Pipe Line (MPL) are gauging interest to begin southbound service on the pipeline in the second half of 2022 with an initial capacity of 300 Mb/d — only one-quarter of Capline’s northbound capacity.
The possible reversal of Capline (yellow line in Figure 1) has been a frequent topic in the RBN blogosphere for several years. The 633-mile, 40-inch-diameter pipeline for a quarter century played a critical role in moving imported, Gulf Coast and Gulf of Mexico-sourced crude oil north to Midwest refineries.
Join Backstage Pass to Read Full Article
About the song
“Time Has Come Today” was written by Joe and Willie Chambers and appears as the fifth song on side two of the Chambers Brothers’ debut album, The Time Has Come. Joe Chambers wrote the lyrics for the song after attending a lecture at UCLA by counterculture philosopher Timothy Leary. The song is a call to action in the fight for social justice during the tumultuous times of the late 1960s. It was originally recorded by the band in 1966, clocking in at a short 2:27 in length. The band re-recorded it in August 1967, with the full-length album version lasting just over 11 minutes. This version features a high hat with tambourine attached and a cowbell as the main percussive instruments in the song. It presents a lysergic whirlwind of sounds that includes heavy use of tape delay and reverb. The midsection of the tune has fuzzed-out guitar that sounds like angry hornets, amidst howling and screams, all drenched in tape delay that would have put Sam Phillips on a different astral plane with his experiments with slap back tape echo at his studio at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis in 1955. Did someone say, “more cowbell?”, well alrighty then ... my soul has been psychedelicized!
Released as a single (at 4:45 running time) in December 1967, it went to #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. The full 11:06 LP version was a staple of progressive FM radio stations in the late 1960s, only rivaled by “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida” for deejays in need of a bathroom break during airtime. The song has appeared in multiple motion pictures and television shows and has been covered by many artists over the years. Personnel on the record were: Lester Chambers (vocals, percussion), Joe and Willie Chambers (guitars), George Chambers (bass, vocals), and Brian Keenan (drums, percussion).
The Time Has Come LP was recorded in Los Angeles between August 1966 and August 1967, with David Rubinson producing. The album was released in November 1967 and went to #4 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Two singles were released from the LP.
The Chambers Brothers are an American psychedelic soul band originally from Carthage, MS — they relocated to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s. They started their career playing folk and gospel music but switched to electric guitars and an edgier rock and soul sound in the Vietnam era. The group in its prime consisted of brothers George, Joe, Lester, and Willie Chambers, along with Brian Keenan. They have released seven studio albums, seven live albums, 10 compilation albums and 10 singles. The band still plays occasional shows in the Los Angeles area. Drummer Brian Keenan died in 1985 at the age of 42. Bassist George Chambers died in 2019 at the age of 88.
