Construction of Kemper-Satsuma 18” Pipe Line (1950)

Duration: 42:10:00

Year Published: 1950

Format: 16mm

Sound: silent

Description: Shot by the Morrison Construction Company for the Humble Pipe Line Company, this industrial film documents the construction of an oil pipeline from Kemper in West Texas to the town of Satsuma, located near Houston. Intertitles throughout detail operations along the line, from planting dynamite to stringing pipe to coating and priming. Construction on the pipeline began on December 12, 1949, and ended on May 28, 1950. Costing $15 million to build, the 375-mile line crossed 16 counties. Prior to the Kemper-Satsuma line, oil had been transported through a system of small lines that grew as new lines were discovered—a method that proved not only inefficient but also increasingly expensive. By constructing a pipeline over a shorter route and with a greater capacity, Humble hoped to reduce operating costs and put itself in a better competitive position among other carriers. The first oil from the Kemper Station arrived in Satsuma for storage during an opening ceremony on June 13. Several Humble Pipe Line Company executives were in attendance, including President R. V. Hanrahan. It reportedly took 576,211 barrels of oil to fill the line. Also included is home movie footage of a company picnic at the Humble Pipe Line office in McCamey.