↓LARGE PHOTO OF
THE MONTH@PopularMechanics_ June 2019 15The town of Cushing (population: 7,826), Oklahoma, is nicknamed the
“Pipeline Crossroads of the World.” It’s home to 307 oil-storage tanks,
one of the largest facilities in the country. The price of oil delivered
daily to Cushing has determined crude oil’s valuation on the New
York Mercantile Exchange for decades. But that benchmark may be
changing: Recent drilling in the Southwest’s Permian Basin has boosted
domestic production, and a 40-year ban on crude oil exports was lifted
in 2015, lowering demand for storage. Although the Cushing complex
can accommodate more than 80 million barrels, its reserves dipped as
low as 21.8 million last year. As the holdings change, so do the tanks
themselves. Most in this photo belong to the SemGroup company; they
were constructed with external floating roofs, which move up and down
when the oil volume fluctuates, reducing the release of vapors and
lowering the risk of fire from static electricity and lightning.
PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK OXFORD