Oil Pipeline Proposed for Joshua Tree Area
Questar, a natural gas-focused company with pipelines throughout western states, is evaluating options for a crude oil pipeline through the California desert to refineries in Long Beach, California. The company would build up to 120 miles of new 16-inch pipeline between Essex and Whitewater, California to connect portions of the existing Questar Southern Trails pipeline, which currently carries natural gas from New Mexico to Essex for California utilities. The new 120 mile portion would be routed east of Joshua Tree National Park through Desert Center, or west of the National Park through the Morongo Basin. The BLM has not yet begun environmental review of the Questar project, so stay tuned. This map from Questar shows the existing pipeline in solid blue - much of it currently carrying natural gas from New Mexico to Essex. The dotted lines show two potential routes for new pipeline to connect the existing pipelines, which would then carry crude oil. The Questar pipeline