August 2014

Pipeline Construction

Brief History of the Industry in the U.S.

              pipeline

In 1859 the first commercial oil well was built in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Within two decades 80% of the world's petroleum consumption was supplied by Pennsylvania oil fields. The first "barrels" of oil were transported in whiskey barrels by teamsters on horse-drawn carriages. This method was extremely expensive and inefficient which ultimately led to the construction of the first wooden pipeline. This pipeline was built in 1862 and was approximately 9 miles in length. Most of the pipelines and their accompanying pipe supports were constructed of wood in the early days of American history. These wooden supports acted as poor insulators for temperature-sensitive liquids. In the 1970's Rilco played a major role alongside Dow Chemical in pioneering a sturdier, more reliable pipe support that utilized polyurethane foam as the insulation, ultimately transforming the industry.

Remaining at the Forefront of Technology

                             pyrowrap and cryowrap pipe supports

Rilco remains at the forefront of pipe support technology as we experiment with new designs and insulation materials. In the past year we have conducted several major research & development tests for our PyroWrap and CryoWrap pipe support systems. These tests have indicated potential for exponential energy and cost savings in hot temperature and cryogenic pipeline applications.