@pallen123 this is not uncommon.
The network of crude oil pipelines in the U.S. is extensive. There are approximately 55,000 miles of crude oil trunk lines (usually 8 – 24 inches in diameter) in the U.S. that connect regional markets.
The U.S. also has an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 miles of small gathering lines (usually 2 to 6 inches in diameter) located primarily in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Wyoming with small systems in a number of other oil producing states. These small lines gather the oil from many wells, both onshore and offshore, and connect to larger trunk lines measuring from 8 to 24 inches in diameter.
Just imagine the length of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), in which 48 inch pipe alone covers over 800 miles, and which has significant portions of the system above ground. Crude oil is produced in Alaska, moves south on TAPS and then moves by tank ship to the West Coast. From the tank ship, the crude again moves by pipeline to refineries along the west coast of the U.S.
Considering the several thousands of miles of pipe already in place… what is the big deal with 5000 feet?