Enbridge Inc. and Enterprise Products Partners L.P. in a joint news release on Nov. 16 announced their agreement in reversing the direction of crude oil flows on the Seaway pipeline to enable it to transport oil from Cushing, Oklahoma, to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Pending regulatory approval, the line could operate in reversed service with an initial capacity of 150,000 bpd by second quarter 2012.

Amid ongoing signs that the U.S. economy experienced modest growth early in the fourth quarter, total petroleum deliveries, a measure of demand, rose 2.5% in October compared with the year prior period, the American Petroleum Institute reported in its most recent Monthly Statistical Report released on Friday (11/18). At 19.4 million bpd, total deliveries were at a three-year high for the month of October.

Manufacturing output continued to strengthen for the month as the ISM Manufacturing Index Survey showed expansion for the 27th consecutive month. However, according to the Consumer Confidence Index Survey, October’s 39.8 reading was at a record low for the year.

More U.S. crude oil is being shipped by rail, especially from North Dakota where a lack of pipelines has companies relying on tank cars to bring the state’s soaring oil production to market, according to a report posted Nov. 16 by the Energy Information Administration.

Pipelines remain the most popular transport option, carrying two-thirds of U.S. oil and petroleum products, but rail is rising.