石油储运英语教程(第二部分).docVIP

Unit Five Types of Pipelines Most oil and gas pipelines fall into one of three groups, gathering, trunk/transmission, or distribution. Other pipelines are needed in producing fields to inject gas, water, or other fluids into the formation to improve oil and gas recovery and to dispose of salt water often produced with oil. Small-diameter pipelines within an oil or gas fields called flow lines, are usually owned by the producer. They connect individual oil or gas wells to central treating, storage, or processing facilities within the field. Another gathering system made up of large-diameter lines, normally owned by a pipeline company rather than the oil or gas producer, connects these field facilities to. the large-diameter, long-distance trunk or transmission line. In some cases, individual wells are tied directly to the pipeline companys gathering system. Crude trunk lines move oil from producing areas to refineries for processing. Gas transmission lines carry natural gas from producing areas to city utility companies and other customers. Through distribution networks of small pipelines and metering facilities, utilities distribute natural gas to commercial, residential, and industrial users. Flow lines, the first link in the transportation chain from producing well to consumer, are used to move produced oil from individual wells to a central point in the field for treating and storage. Flow lines are generally small-diameter pipelines operating at relatively low pressure. Typical flow-line diameters in the United States are 2 in , 3 in , and 4 in. The size required varies according to the capacity of the well being served, the length of the line, and the pressure available at the producing well to force the oil through the line. Flow lines typically operate at pressures below 100 psi. In many fields around the world, high-capacity wells require larger-diameter pipelines. Individual oil flow lines are relatively short, typically ranging from less than a mile to