A conceptual framework for managing petroleum products pipeline

Date

1998-05

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

A barrel of cmde oil is transformed into various refined products and these products travel through pipelines before reaching demand points. Refined products shipped through pipelines include various grades of gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel, and home heating oils. These different products are carried in the same pipeline. Since a multiple product pipeline transports different types of petroleum products, it faces the issue of product mixing. Movement of more than one product in a single pipeline obviously calls for more sophisticated monitoring and control than is required for continuous movement of a single product (Kennedy, 1993).

Because of the variety of refined products, it is necessary to segregate them. To achieve the segregation, the refined products are transported in batches, maintaining the integrity of their shipments. Batch size depends upon the amount of interface or mixed products that can be tolerated as the batches move down the line (Wolbert, 1979).

Description

Citation