Early Methods of Transporting Petroleum (OG-02)
During the early days of oil, operators had to store large quantities of oil and transport it to the refinery. From wooden tanks nearby, oil was put in wooden barrels and hauled by horses over almost nonexistent roads or moved by barges to the refinery. Huge quantities of oil were lost by spillage and fires. By 1865, railroads were hauling oil in barrels and open vats of flatcars; steel tank cars were not developed until 1868. A long-distance pipeline was built in 1865, but this method of transportation was slow to be accepted.

In Indiana, railroads and trucks haul petroleum, but many companies operate pipelines distributing petroleum and its products.

Our Hoosier State Beneath Us: Oil and Gas