Oil has been transported through pipelines since the
XIX century, and it has been carried through a vast extent of the pipe system.
This way of bringing the oil from one point to another is considered the most
efficient one when it comes to hydrocarbons.
Oil pipelines are the most efficient
way to transport oil and its derivates. It may be carried in big loads
and through different ground environments, as well as see environments. This
wide transportation network is composed of plastic or metal pipes with a diameter from
30 to 120 centimeters. Sometimes these pipes are just one meter underground.
When it comes to their purpose, the pipes may be used to transport, gather or
distribute. These pipes cover kilometric distances. This kind of system has been
used for more than one hundred years. By the moment people started using it, it
was an alternate way to the traditional transport in railroad wagons. This
alternative made a huge difference in terms of time, security and expenses.
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Oil pipelines are masterpieces within the oil industry
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Oil
pipelines are considered masterpieces in the oil industry. They are fundamental
in this valuable product's commercialization since it allows its transportation
to subsequent stages such as refining, processing, and selling. Oil pipeline construction
follows a solid group of security processes according to international
standards. This is how this distribution method is one of the most efficient
and, probably, the safest.
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Oil pipelines are a safe system to transport
hydrocarbons
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There are pumping stations disposed along
the pipelines. These stations make the oil flow with a speed of at least one
meter per second, and a maximum of six meters per second. Sometimes, there are
a few parallel pipelines in the same system to transport two or more products;
this is known as an interface. The strict maintaining cycle removes paraffine
wastes, within the oil composition, that adhere to the internal parts of the
pipes.
Lastly, considering that we
are talking about oil: A high-value material that runs kilometers through those
pipes; permanent vigilance is one of the most important things. If a leakage ever happens, it will
affect the environment, not only the animals but the people living around the
pipes. Being alert is key to act as fast as possible. Likewise, vandalic acts
and potential attacks are some other things that one must consider when it
comes to security-related things.