Construction of oil and natural gas infrastructure such as pipelines is poised to pump more than $56 billion into the U.S. economy and generate an average of 132,000 new jobs annually over the next five years, according to a study released today by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America.

INGAA's analysis comes as a domestic fuel boom -- powered by development of oil and gas from the Plains-state Bakken field as well as the East Coast Marcellus Shale deposit -- creates new transportation challenges and business opportunities for pipeline construction. Using the industry group's 2011 estimate of $200 billion in oil and gas infrastructure investment over the next 25 years, INGAA's new report delved into more detail for the lower 48 states and offshore Gulf of Mexico.

Natural gas is a "significant, if not dominant driver" of INGAA's estimated benefits from pipeline construction, said Scott Smith of Black & Veatch, the consulting company engaged for the industry study. Over the study's 25-year horizon, natural gas is projected to generate $190.3 billion in private-sector investment, with oil transit at $22.7 billion and natural gas liquid movement at $16.1 billion.

On the jobs front, INGAA saw natural gas driving the bulk of new employment relative to oil and natural gas liquid pipelines. The question of how long pipeline-related jobs would last has proved volatile in the debate over the Keystone XL proposal, with Democrats and environmentalists noting that the bulk of jobs promised by industry would be temporary construction posts (E&E Daily, Oct. 24, 2011).

Smith, however, stood by that pro-pipeline argument. Short-term construction jobs on pipelines are likely to end up "quasi-permanent, if you will, because there's this ongoing investment over time," he said.

Click here to view Black & Veatch's new fuel infrastructure report for the INGAA Foundation.