What Explorer Pipeline does

Explorer Pipeline Company is a private, Tulsa, Oklahoma-headquartered common carrier pipeline operator that transports refined petroleum products from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Midwest markets. Founded in the late 1960s by eight major oil companies (Apco, Cities Service, Continental, Gulf, Phillips, Shell, Sun, Texaco), the company completed its original 1,400-mile system in 1972 and has since expanded to 1,872 miles of pipeline across 16 states, with a southern system capacity of 660,000 barrels per day and a northern system capacity of 450,000 barrels per day, moving an annual throughput of approximately 209 million barrels of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and diluent to more than 70 major cities.

The company's core technology is a large-diameter pipeline system employing proprietary batching technology—pioneered by Explorer in 1977—that enables the transport of crude oil and refined products through the same line. Operational integrity is supported by a 24/7/365 central control center with LeakWarn software, systemwide aerial and foot patrols, and a Pipeline Safety Management System (PSMS) following API Recommended Practice 1173's PDCA model with 10 essential risk-management elements. Shipper scheduling is handled through the Transport4 nomination platform. The company is jointly owned by Shell Midstream Operating LLC, MPLX Operations LLC, ET CC Holdings LLC, and Phillips 66 Partners Holdings LLC.

Explorer generates revenue through regulated, tariff-based per-barrel transportation fees under long-term take-or-pay contracts with oil company shippers. Capacity is allocated through binding open seasons requiring minimum volume commitments (e.g., 5,000 bpd for the 2025 diluent expansion), with committed shippers receiving priority capacity at premium rates relative to walk-up shippers. Customer concentration is structurally high: the four equity owners are also major shippers, and the company's primary segments are oil-company shippers and diluent shippers requiring Gulf Coast-to-Illinois capacity. Recent growth vectors include the Diluent Expansion Project (new capacity online ~July 1, 2025), the North Dallas service expansion via a 2022 partnership with U.S. Oil, and ongoing safety-program investments including the 2025 API Distinguished Safety Award.

Name

Explorer Pipeline

Legal name

Explorer Pipeline Company

Website

https://expl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Explorer Pipeline is a privately held common carrier pipeline operator transporting refined petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, diluent) across 1,872 miles from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Midwest markets, serving oil-company shippers under long-term take-or-pay tariff contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Midstream Petroleum Pipeline Transportation

NAICS

Pipeline Transportation of Refined Petroleum Products (486910), Pipeline Transportation of Refined Petroleum Products (48691)

SIC

Pipe Lines (No Natural Gas) (4610)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Product Refined Products (Common Carrier) Pipeline Transportation (TLAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Refined Products Pipeline Terminals & Breakout Storage Operations (TLAGABAJ)

Keywords

• Refined products pipeline
• Petroleum pipeline transportation
• Common carrier pipeline
• Diluent transportation services
• Midstream oil transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pipeline Transportation Services: Common carrier pipeline transportation of refined petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, diluent) from Gulf Coast receipt points to Midwest destination points. Shippers pay tariff-based rates per barrel transported. The company operates under regulated common carrier status with published tariffs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Explorer Pipeline operates a 1,872-mile common carrier pipeline that transports refined petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and diluent) from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Midwest markets. The system consists of a southern leg with 660,000 barrels per day capacity and a northern leg with 450,000 barrels per day capacity, serving more than 70 major cities across 16 states. Shippers commit to volume (minimum 5,000 barrels per day for diluent expansion) through binding open seasons and long-term take-or-pay contracts at published tariff rates.

Product overview

Explorer Pipeline is a common carrier refined petroleum products pipeline transportation company operating an 1,872-mile pipeline system. The core product is pipeline transportation services moving gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and diluent from Gulf Coast terminals (Port Arthur, Texas) to major Midwest markets including Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, St. Louis, and Chicago. The company operates two systems: a southern system with 660,000 barrels per day capacity and a northern system with 450,000 barrels per day capacity. The Pipeline Safety Management System (PSMS) is a complementary component focused on risk management and safety culture. The Diluent Transportation Service represents an expansion module for dedicated diluent shipments to Illinois destination points.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refined Products Pipeline Transportation Common carrier pipeline transportation of refined petroleum products including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and diluent through an 1,872-mile pipeline system from Port Arthur, Texas to the upper Midwest, with southern leg capacity of 660,000 barrels per day and northern leg capacity of 450,000 barrels per day, serving more than 70 major cities in 16 states.
• Diluent Transportation Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 209 million barrels transported annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Williams Fire and Hazard ControlminorOthers · 2 June 2025Explorer Pipeline sponsors firefighter scholarships for Williams Fire and Hazard Control's Extreme Industrial Fire & Hazard training at Brayton Fire Training Field in College Station, Texas. The training is part of Explorer's Pipeline Safety Management System emergency response training program.
• Irwin/Cochin Terminal (Kankakee County, Illinois)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2024Diluent Expansion project destination point for shipments from Gulf Coast. Explorer is proceeding with construction to increase capacity for diluent transportation to this terminal.
• Manhattan/Southern Lights Terminal (Will County, Illinois)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2024Diluent Expansion project destination point for shipments from Gulf Coast. Explorer is proceeding with construction to increase capacity for diluent transportation to this terminal.
• Harris County Emergency Services District 12 Fire DepartmentminorOthers · 2 May 2023Explorer Pipeline is building a 28,000-barrel water tank at its Fauna Tank Farm in Harris County, Texas for use by the Harris County Fire Department for fire protection. The company is also funding scholarships for two Harris County firefighters to attend training.
• U.S. Oil (U.S. Venture, Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Explorer Pipeline and U.S. Oil announced successful completion of two projects providing distribution of refined products into the growing North Dallas area. This partnership enables service expansion to North Dallas markets.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kinder Morgan: Kinder Morgan is one of the largest North American midstream operators with substantial refined products and crude pipeline assets. It competes for Gulf Coast and Midwest volumes and shares the same common carrier, tariff-based business model as Explorer.
• Energy Transfer: Energy Transfer is one of Explorer's four equity owners and operates an extensive midstream pipeline network across multiple commodities. While it competes for Gulf Coast-to-Midwest refined product volumes and diluent transport, it is a broad incumbent rather than a pure-play refined products peer.
• MPLX (Marathon Petroleum): MPLX is one of Explorer's four owners and operates a large midstream network including refined product and crude pipelines. As a master limited partnership affiliated with Marathon Petroleum, it both competes for and ships on Explorer's system, making it a partial competitor and partial customer.
• Enterprise Products Partners: Enterprise Products Partners operates an extensive midstream network including crude, NGL, refined products, and petrochemical pipelines. While not a direct like-for-like refined products competitor on Explorer's corridor, it is a comparable large-scale midstream incumbent with similar shipper relationships and contract structures.
• Phillips 66 Partners: Phillips 66 Partners is one of Explorer's four equity owners and operates pipelines and terminals supporting Phillips 66 refining. It is partially a partner/customer of Explorer and partially a competitor in the midstream space serving overlapping shippers.
• Enbridge: Enbridge is one of the largest North American pipeline operators with major crude oil and liquids pipelines crossing the U.S. Midwest. While primarily a crude and natural gas operator, it competes for liquids transportation throughput on adjacent corridors and shares the same scale-driven, regulated business model.

Emerging players

• Plains All American Pipeline: Plains All American is a major U.S. midstream operator focused primarily on crude oil gathering and transportation. While Explorer's primary focus is refined products, both companies share diluent and crude transport overlap (especially in the Cushing/Gulf Coast corridor) and serve similar integrated oil company shippers.

Direct peers

• Colonial Pipeline: Colonial Pipeline is the largest U.S. refined products pipeline system (~5,500 miles, Gulf Coast to Northeast). It is the most direct competitor to Explorer along the Gulf Coast-to-Midwest corridor and operates under similar common carrier, tariff-based economics for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
• ONEOK (Magellan Midstream): ONEOK acquired Magellan Midstream Partners in 2023, gaining a major refined products pipeline system with overlapping Gulf Coast-to-Midwest reach. It is a direct competitor serving similar shippers (oil companies, refiners) with similar long-haul refined products transportation services.
• Buckeye Partners: Buckeye Partners (now part of IFM Investors) operates refined petroleum products pipelines and terminals with significant presence in the Northeast and Midwest U.S. It is a direct peer serving similar markets with similar refined products pipeline and terminal infrastructure under common carrier economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/explpipeline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/explorer-pipeline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Explorer Pipeline