Which of the pipeline sections

 

... is located at the beginning of the pipeline?		A
... is connected to distribution gas pipelines?
... is used to isolate parts of the pipeline in case of an accident?
... has auxiliary pump stations along the pipeline?
... is located at fixed intervals from one another?
... is used to supply more hydrocarbons to be transported?
... is the final part of the pipeline?
... are connected to storage facilities?
… is the first line of protection for pipelines?
... is used to carry out maintenance of pipeline equipment?
... has its location determined by the topography of the area?

 

Text 3

I. Read the text and choose the most suitable headings A-E for each part of the text. You do not have to use all the headings!

A. Crude-Oil Pipelines

B. Transportation Pipelines

C. Above-Ground Pipelines

D. Connection Pipelines

E. Distribution Pipelines

F. Gathering Pipelines

G. Discharge Pipelines

Types of pipelines

In general, pipelines can be classified into three main categories the latter depending on its main purpose. These categories are as follows:

- are groups of smaller interconnected pipelines forming complex networks with the main purpose of bringing crude oil or natural gas from several nearby wells to a treatment plant or a processing facility. In this group, pipelines are usually short, couple of hundred of meters, and with small diameters. Also sub-sea pipelines for collecting product from deep water production platforms are considered such systems.

- are usually long pipes of large diameters to move products (oil, gas, refined products) between cities, countries and even continents. These transportation networks include several compressor stations in gas lines or pump stations for crude and multiproduct pipelines.

- are composed of several interconnected pipelines with small diameters, used to take the products to the final consumer. Basically, feeder lines to deliver gas to homes and businesses downstream, or pipelines at terminals to transport final products to tanks and storage facilities are included in this group.

Text 4

I. You are going to read the text about pipeline operation. Before reading it discuss and answer the following questions in groups.

1. How is the operation of pipelines carried out?
2. What parameters are controlled and how are the data gathered and received from the pipelines?
3. In what way can the operation of pipelines be optimized and made environmentally safe?

 

II. Now read the text and for each of the questions 1-5 choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think best fits according to the text.

Pipeline operation

When a pipeline is built, the construction project not only covers the civil work to lay down or bury the pipeline and build the pump/compressor stations, it also has to cover all the work related to the installation of the field devices that will support the remote operation of these networks.

Field devices are basically instrumentation, data gathering units and communication systems. The field instrumentation includes flow, pressure and temperature gauges/transmitters, as well as other devices to measure the relevant data required to operate. These field instruments are installed along the pipeline on some specific locations, such as injection or delivery stations, pump stations (liquid pipelines) or compressor stations (gas pipelines), and block valve stations.

The information measured by these field instruments is then gathered in local Remote Terminal Units (RTU) that transfer the field data to a central location in real time using communication systems, such as satellite channels, microwave links or cellular phone connections.

Pipelines are then controlled and operated remotely, from what is usually known as the Main Control Room. In this specific center, all the data related to field measurement are consolidated in one central database. The data are received from the multiple RTUs installed along the pipeline. It is common to find RTUs installed at every station along the pipeline.

The SCADA system at the Main Control Room, then receives all the field information and presents it to the pipeline operator through a set of screens or SCADA Human Machine Interface, showing the main operational conditions of the pipeline. The operator can monitor the hydraulic conditions of the line, as well as remotely manipulate pumps, compressors, valves, deliveries, etc. sending operational commands (open/close valves, turn on/off compressors or pumps, change setpoints, etc.) through the SCADA system to the field.

To optimize and secure the operation of these assets, some pipeline companies are using what is called Advanced Pipeline Applications, which are software tools installed on top of the SCADA system, that provide extended functionality to perform leak detection, leak location, batch tracking (liquid lines), pig tracking, composition tracking, predictive modeling, look ahead modeling, operator training and more.