Big Inch pipeline
Topic: World Transport and Communication · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 7 "Transport and Communication"
Meaning
The Big Inch is a famous oil pipeline in the USA, built in 1942-43. It carries petroleum from the oilfields near the Gulf of Mexico, in Texas, to the north-eastern states. A pipeline moves liquid in a steady, non-stop flow. It does not need tankers, trains or trucks, which makes it a cheap way to move oil over long distances.
Example
Crude oil pumped from wells in Texas flows north-east through the Big Inch to the industrial states of the north-eastern USA. Pipelines carry about 17% of US freight tonne-km. A tonne-km means one tonne of goods moved one kilometre.
Don't confuse with
- Milk pipelines of New Zealand: they carry milk from farms to factories. The Big Inch carries petroleum, not milk or LPG. This is a common exam trap.
Related concepts
- Air transport
- Inter-continental air routes
- Central Asia-China gas pipeline
- Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline
- TAPI pipeline