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PIPELINE TRANSPORT
Pipeline transport is a transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquid and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air have also been used.
As for gases and liquids, any chemically stable substance can be sent through a pipeline. Therefore sewage, slurry, water, or even beer pipelines exist; but arguably the most important are those transporting oil and natural gas. Often these pipelines are inspected and cleaned using pipeline inspection gauges ("pigs").
Oil and natural gas pipelines
Pipeline transport, pioneered by Vladimir Shukhov and the Branobel company in the late 19th century, is the only economic way to transport large quantities of oil or natural gas over land. Compared to railroad, it has lower cost per unit and also higher capacity. Although pipelines can be built even under the sea, that process is both economically and technically very demanding, so the majority of oil at sea is transported by tanker ships.
Oil pipelines are made from steel or plastic tubes with inner diameter from 30 to 120 cm (about 12 to 47 inches). Where possible, they are built above the surface. However, in more developed, urban or environmentally sensitive areas they are buried underground at a typical depth of about 1 metre (about 3 feet). The oil is kept in motion by a system of pump stations built along the pipeline and usually flows at speed of about 1 to 6 m/s. Multi-product pipelines are used to transport two or more different products in sequence in the same pipeline. Usually in multi-product pipelines there is no physical separation between the different products. Some mixing of adjacent products occurs, producing interface. This interface is removed from the pipeline at receiving facilities and segregated to prevent contamination.
Crude oil contains varying amounts of wax, or paraffin, and in colder climates wax buildup may occur within a pipeline. To clear wax deposition, mechanical pigs may be sent along the line periodically.
For natural gas, smaller feeder lines are used to distribute the fuel to homes and businesses.
Government regulations in Canada and the United States require that buried fuel pipelines must be protected from corrosion. Often, the most economical method of corrosion control is by use of pipeline coating in conjunction with cathodic protection.
Accidents
Pipelines conveying flammable or explosive material such as natural gas or oil pose special safety concerns.
- For a complete list see Pipeline accidents
- June 4, 1989 - sparks from two passing trains detonated gas leaking from an LPG pipeline near Ufa, Russia. Up to 645 people were reported killed.
- October 17, 1998 - at Jesse in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, a petroleum pipeline exploded killing about 1200 villagers, some of whom were scavenging gasoline - the worst of several similar incidents in this country.
- June 10, 1999 - a pipeline in a Bellingham, Washington park leaked gasoline, vapor from leak exploded and killed 2 children
- July 30, 2004 - a major natural gas pipeline exploded in Ghislenghien, Belgium near Ath (thirty kilometres southwest of Brussels), killing at least 23 people and leaving 122 wounded, some critically. (CNN) (Expatica)
- May 12, 2006 - an oil pipeline ruptured outside Lagos, Nigeria. Up to 200 people may have been killed. See Nigeria oil blast.
Some oil/gas pipelines
Some oil/gas pipeline companies
Pipelines for other liquids and gases
Water pipelines
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