• Who Owns Abandoned Pipelines?
  I recently received a call from a landowner on whose land a pipeline was buried. On this particular tract of land in central Texas, the pipeline in question was only 300 feet in length. The right-of-way, or easement, was no longer mowed or otherwise maintained. Signs along the right-of-way were down or in disarray...
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• The Art of Pipeline Recovery
  Handling environmental issues when asbestos is uncovered. In this era of high commodity prices, I believe that more pipelines should be recycled, rehabilitated and reused. A new 16" pipe purchased today would cost upwards of $35 to $40 per foot - not including the cost for coating and transportation. There are so many practical uses for recycled tubes...
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• Asbestos and Old Pipelines
  Asbestos coating on pipelines is not a popular topic with most pipeline companies. In fact they don’t even like to use the "A" word when describing the coating if the coating is mentioned...
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• Pipeline Alignment Sheets
  The best asset a pipeline owner can have is the original alignment sheets or "as built" document. This is basically a blueprint showing the exact route of the pipeline and virtually all the knowledge that existed for that pipeline when built...
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• Right of Way Agreements
  A right of way agreement is the contract between the property owner (grantor) and the party seeking the easement or right of way  (grantee) on or across that property. The right of way or easement can be for utilities, roads, trails, pipelines, or whatever else egress or ingress is granted on a property...
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• Abandoned Pipelines
  A dictionary definition of abandonment means to "give up entirely", but not in pipeline terminology. It is strictly open to interpretation and the interpreters are beginning to heat up and regulators are listening. As more and more urban areas move toward depleted oil and gas producing areas, the questions become more frequent and intense...
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• Landowner Relations and Pipeline Recovery
  I have met very few landowners who have not been pleased to know that I am removing a pipeline that crosses their property. Those that don’t want it removed generally did not know it was there or feel it does no harm to leave it in place or think that to remove it would do more harm than good...
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