Chapter One
Introduction to Transmission Pipelines
Abstract
Pipelines are used to transport liquids or gases from origin to end users. These pipelines may range from 4 in to 32 in or more in diameter. Over the last several years, pipelines have been built in the World ranging from 48 to 60 in or larger. These pipelines may be short lines, such a few feet to as much as a few thousand miles long. In addition to providing the necessary pipe material, we must also provide the necessary pressure in terms of pumping equipment and drivers as well as other related appurtenances such as valves, regulators, and scraper traps. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a well-known large-diameter pipeline built in the United States during the past 40 years at a cost of more than $8 billion (US) dollars.
Pipelines are used to transport liquids or gases from point of origin to point of consumption of liquids or gases. Transmission pipelines may be small diameter such as 4 in or the average size may range from 24 to 32 in or more in diameter. Over the course of several years, much larger pipelines have been built in the United States and abroad ranging from 48 to 60 in or larger diameter. These pipelines may be short lines, such as gathering lines ranging from a few feet to as much as a couple of miles. They may also be long trunk lines a few thousand miles long. In addition to providing the necessary pipe material, we must also provide the necessary pressure in terms of pumping equipment and drivers as well as other related appurtenances such as valves, regulators, and scraper traps. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a well-known large-diameter pipeline built in the United States during the past 25 years at a cost of more than $8 (US Billion) dollars.
In this book, we will concentrate on transmission pipelines used to transport liquids such as water, refined petroleum products as well as natural gas or compressible fluids such as propane and ethane. More sophisticated pipelines have also been built to transport exotic gases and liquids such as ethylene or compressed high-density carbon dioxide (CO2). The latter pipelines require extensive hydraulic simulation or modeling taking into account the thermodynamic properties of CO2 including liquid vapor diagrams as well as the complex formulas that define the behavior of high density CO2.
Starting with 1866 in Pennsylvania, United States, when the first practical pipeline was constructed by the entrepreneur and scientist Edwin Drake, the United States set the stage for the proliferation of practical utilization of pipelines ranging from a few miles to tens of thousands of miles all over the world.
It must be noted that although the US pioneered pipeline efforts in the 1800s, credit must be given to engineers, technicians, and scientists that paved the way for progress in transporting “black gold” to satisfy the twentieth century requirements of mankind, which has reached a level unimaginable particularly during the past few decades. Considering that oil was available for about $20 per barrel (bbl) in the 1800s, we are now experiencing a tremendous price increase of $100 to $150 bbl in recent years. There does not seem to be a let up in the consumption of crude oil and petroleum products despite the fact that the industrialized nations have spent enormous amounts of research and development efforts in replacing oil with a more renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. The largest consumption by the public for crude oil is the application of diesel and gasoline for motor vehicles. Despite the enormous progress made with electric cars and non–crude oil–based fuels such as compressed natural gas, liquified natural gas, and hydrogen gas, for a long time to come crude oil and their derivatives will remain a major portion of the energy source for worldwide use. For comparison, consider the cost of crude oil today at $100–120 per bbl versus electricity at $0.15 per KWH compared with natural gas cost of $8–10 per MCF. Of course these are only approximations and can vary from country to country depending on Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and other natural gas and crude oil price regulating organizations.
The most important oil well ever drilled in the United States was in the middle of quiet farm country in northwestern Pennsylvania in a town called Titusville. In 1859, the newly formed Seneca Oil Company hired retired railroad conductor Edwin L. Drake to investigate suspected oil deposits. Drake used an old steam engine to drill a well that began the first large-scale commercial extraction of petroleum. This was one of the first successful oil wells drilled for the sole purpose of finding oil. This was known as the Drake Well. By the early 1860s, western Pennsylvania had been transformed by the oil boom. This started an international search for petroleum, and in many ways eventually changed the way we live.
The reason Drake chose Titusville as the spot to drill for oil was the many active oil seeps in the region. As it turns out, there had already been wells drilled that had struck oil in the region. The only problem was, they were not drilling for oil. Instead, they were looking for salt water or drinking water. When they struck oil, they considered it a nuisance and abandoned the well. At the time, no one really knew how valuable oil was.
Later on, they hoped that “rock oil” could be recovered from the ground in large enough quantities to be used commercially as a fuel for lamps. Oil had already been used, refined, and sold commercially for one of its byproducts: kerosene. Along came a gentleman named Bissell who would try to extract the rock oil from the ground by drilling, using the same techniques as had been used in salt wells. Bissell was simply looking for a better, more reliable, and plentiful source.
Table 1.1 shows a list of long-distance pipelines being used around the world to transport gas, crude oil, and products from the fields to areas of use. Sometimes these fields are located in one country or continent and then transported by pipeline for distribution through several countries.
Table 1.1
Various Transmission Pipelines in North America
| – | Bakersfield | Los Angeles | – | – | – |
| – | Chicago | Cushing | 2 × 12, 22 | – | – |
| – | Clearbrook | Minneapolis | 16 | – | – |
| – | Clearbrook | Bismark | 10 | – | – |
| – | Cushing | Wood River | 22 | 703 | 275 |
| – | Guernsey | Chicago | 8, 12, 20, 24 | – | – |
| – | Los Angeles | San Juan | 16 | – | – |
| – | Los Angeles | San Francisco | 34 | – | – |
| – | Midland | Corpus Christi | 10, 12 | – | – |
| – | Midland | Cushing | 2 × 16 | – | – |
| – | Midland | Houston | 1, 24 | 742 | 310 |
| – | Minneapolis | St. Louis | 20 | – | – |
| – | Minneapolis | St. Louis | 24 | – | – |
| – | New Mexico | Cushing | 20, 24 | 832 | 350 |
| – | Port Arthur | Midland | 10 | – | – |
| – | Prudhoe Bay, Alaska | Valdez | 34 | – | – |
| – | San Juan | Houston | 12, 16 | – | – |
| – | Santa Barbara | Houston | 10 | – | – |
| – | Saint James | Patoka | 40 | 1068 | 1175 |
| – | Wichita | Kansas City | 34 | – | – |
| Portland natural gas transmission | Westbrook | Colebrook | – | – | – |
| – | Hugoton | Denver | 2 × 20 | – | – |
| – | Los Angeles | San Diego | 36 | – | – |
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