Chapter 8 Oil and Gas Transport

Abstract

Publisher Summary The flow of crude oil in a pipeline may be assumed to be isothermal if the oil viscosity is low and the inflow temperature is close to the surrounding soil temperature. There are two ways of increasing the flow capacity of an existing pipeline, which should be achieved with a least-cost objective—(1) by installing one or more intermediate pumping stations along the pipeline and (2) by installing a second pipeline alongside the already existing pipeline. In designing booster pump stations, a simple graphical method can be used to determine the minimum number of stations required. When it is assumed that the oil is injected into the pipeline at pump stations at the maximum allowable pressure of the pipeline, input pressure is the same at all stations, except (usually) the last one. In designing for a minimum number of pumping stations, the pressure gradient in the pipeline must reach the ground zero level at the next pumping station along the line.