12.1 What is the main idea of the article?

12.2 Explain the following words or word-combinations.

Interface contamination, storage availability, batching schemes, throughput requirements, flow regime, equation, coating, flow rate, laminar flow theory, friction coefficients, throughput.

12.3 Transform the affirmative sentences into the negative and interrogative ones.

1. Laminar frictional effect begins to play a more dominant role that ultimately diminishes.

2. The proposed pipeline was designed to throughput transport three types of crude oil?

3. Light and medium crude oil pipelines are operated at fully turbulent regions?

4. A heavy crude oil pipeline is often operated in flow regime because of its high viscosity.

5. Depending on the size of the pipeline ultimately selected, as many as six batches can flow simultaneously in the pipeline.

12.4 Put the verbs in brackets into the proper grammar tense and voice.

1. The crude oils (to enter) the pipelines in batches at a cycle of 2-6 days.

2. Only heavy crude had (to heat) at the beginning of the pipeline.

3. The pipeline (to design) to operate at a maximum allowable operating pressure.

4. When the Reynolds number (tobe) small, laminar flow theory generally (to apply) for determining temperature and pressure drops.

5. A pressure limit (to base) on ration criterion for offshore pipeline installation.

12.5 Choose the necessary word and put it in the sentence.

Flow regime for any … is a function of the Reynolds number. The most commonly used formula for calculating pressure drops in … is the Darcy Weisbach equation. A pipeline was proposed to transport … from an existing oil export terminal in Venezuela. … Between pipe wall and crude oil for the turbulrnt flow regime is related to the Reynolds and Prandtl number. The proposed pipeline was designed to transport three types of … with physical properties. In flow regime, heat transfer and … are a simple function of the Nusselt and Reynolds number. As the Reynolds number is further reduced with lower operating temperature, laminar frictional effect begins to play a more dominant role that ultimately diminishes …

medium and heavy crude oils heat transfer friction coefficients heating costs cude oil throughput petroleum liquids turbulent flow

Text 13 Moving Heavy Oil

Demanding requirements of transporting dry bitumen in the 12-in. OD MacKay River Pipeline in Alberta led to development of an innovative coating system.

Material selection considered pipeline-operating requirements, operating temperatures of up to 130° C (266° R), environmental conditions, coating application processes in shop and field, reparability, and material costs.

An assessment of existing material testing procedures was performed and a number of standard qualification tests were modified to qualify coating materials. This qualification led to selection of a robust, cost-effective coating system.

While historical performance information is not yet available, long-term monitoring will likely validate the design and application of the insulated three-layer coating system used on the MacKay River Pipeline.

Continued development of the oilsands in the Fort McMurray area of Alberta led to a need for the pipeline, which moves bitumen production from the MacKay River area with little or no dilution (dry bitumen).

To flow without diluent, the bitumen must be heated, and heat must be retained by use of a continuous layer of insulation to ensure viscosity remains low. The high operating temperature and the environment through which the pipeline passes were major challenges for design and construction.

This article focuses on design, selection criteria, and testing of the coating system and discusses the important aspects of construction.

The 35 km (22-mile) MacKay River Pipeline moves dry bitumen from Petro-Canada’s MacKay River production facility to Enbridge Pipelines Inc.’s Athabasca terminal. There, the bitumen is blended and transported via the Athabasca pipeline to Hardisty, Alta.

Design capacity of the MacKay River Pipeline is 7,000 cu m/day (44,000 b/d).

Environmental and operating conditions of the pipeline posed substantial challenges for selection of a coating system.

An operating temperature of 120° C, with the possibility of short excursions up to 130° C. and a design life of 30 years substantially limited the range of feasible coating materials.

From an operational standpoint, it was necessary to design the coating system so that sufficient heat would be retained to enable the pipeline to be shutdown for 2 days and subsequently restarted while carrying an unblended product.

The right-of-way, consisting of segments of day and wet (muskeg) terrain, imposed further design constraints upon the coating system.

Coating material testing began in October 2000. Pipe coating began in July 2001. Construction began in September 2001 and was completed by mid October 2001.

Pipeline operation began in December 2002.

Questions

1. What did material selection consider?

2. What was performed to qualify coating materials?

3. Was it necessary to design an innovative coating system?

4. When did pipeline operation begin?

5. Design capacity of the Mac Kay River Pipeline is 7,000 cum/day, isn’t it?