# Is moving fuel by pipeline lower carbon than by tanker truck?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/petroleum-pipeline-vs-tanker-truck-emissions

Usually yes per tonne-kilometre, because pumps move far more fuel per unit of energy than trucks burning diesel. The pipeline operator counts its pumping power and fuel. A fuel buyer usually finds this transport inside the fuel's upstream emissions, Scope 3 Category 3, unless it pays for transport separately.

## Who counts it

- Pipeline operator: Scope 2 for pumping electricity, Scope 1 for any fuel burned at stations.
- Tanker operator: Scope 1 diesel.
- Buyer: Category 3 well-to-tank, or Category 4 if you pay for transport separately.

## Get a figure

Ask the operator for energy per tonne-kilometre. For trucks, use litres of diesel per trip at 2.68 kg CO2 per litre.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads bills, fuel invoices and production records into dated, fingerprinted records, so the figure you send a buyer can be traced to its documents.

- [Rail vs road freight](https://senseible.earth/answers/rail-vs-road-freight-emissions-india)
- [Inland waterway vs road](https://senseible.earth/answers/inland-waterway-vs-road-freight-emissions-india)

Sources: [Smart Freight Centre, GLEC Framework](https://www.smartfreightcentre.org/en/our-programs/emissions-accounting/global-logistics-emissions-council/), [GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-value-chain-scope-3-standard)

Last reviewed 2026-10-22.