Standard friction prediction model of long-distance hot oil pipelines

We developed a predictive model for the pipeline friction in the 520-730 m^3/h transmission range using the multi-layerperceptron-back-propagation(MLP-BP)method and analyzing the unit friction data after the pigging of a hot oil pipeline.In view of the shortcomings of the MLP-BP model,two optimization methods,the genetic algorithm(GA)and mind evolutionary algorithm(MEA),were used to optimize the MLP-BP model.The research results were applied to the standard friction prediction of three sections of a hot oil pipeline.After the GA and MEA optimizations,the average errors of the three sections were 0.0041 MPa for the GA and 0.0012 MPa for the MEA,and the mean-square errors were 0.083 and 0.067,respectively.The MEA-BP model prediction results were characterized by high precision and small dispersion.The MEABP prediction model was applied to the analysis of the wax formation 60 and 90 days after pigging.The analysis results showed that the model can effectively guide pipe pigging and optimization.There was little sample data for the individual transmission and oil temperature steps because the model was based on actual production data modeling and analysis,which may have affected the accuracy and adaptability of the model.

Prediction Model Based on the Grey Theory for Tackling Wax Deposition in Oil Pipelines

Problems involving wax deposition threaten seriously crude pipelines both economically and operationally. Wax deposition in oil pipelines is a complicated problem having a number of uncertainties and indeterminations. The Grey System Theory is a suitable theory for coping with systems in which some information is clear and some is not, so it is an adequate model for studying the process of wax deposition. In order to predict accurately wax deposition along a pipeline, the Grey Model was applied to fit the data of wax deposition rate and the thickness of the deposited wax layer on the pipe-wall, and to give accurate forecast on wax deposition in oil pipelines. The results showed that the average residential error of the Grey Prediction Model is smaller than 2%. They further showed that this model exhibited high prediction accuracy. Our investigation proved that the Grey Model is a viable means for forecasting wax deposition. These findings offer valuable references for the oil industry and for firms dealing with wax cleaning in oil pipelines.

Thermal state of soils in the active layer and underlain permafrost at the kilometer post 304 site along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline

On-site monitoring is very important for understanding formation mechanisms of frost hazards frequently occurring in pipeline foundation soils and for designing and deploying according mitigative measures in permafrost regions.Significant thaw subsidence of ground surfaces along the ChinaRussia Crude Oil Pipeline(CRCOP) from Mo'he to Daqing,Heilongjiang Province,Northeast China have been observed at some segments underlain by ice-rich warm(>1.0°C) permafrost since the official operation in January 2011.Recent monitoring results of the thermal states of foundation soils at the kilometer post(KP) 304 site along the CRCOP are presented in this paper.The results indicate that during the period from 2012 to 2014,shallow soils(at the depths from0.8 to 4.0 m from ground surface) has warmed by approximately 1.0°C in the lateral range of 1.2 to 2.1 maway from the pipeline axis,and deeper permafrost(such as at the depth of 15 m,or the depth of zero annual amplitude of ground temperatures) by 0.08°C per year 4 m away from the pipe axis,and 0.07°C per year 5 m away from the pipeline axis.The results indicate an all-season talik has developed around and along the CRCOP.The thaw bulb,with a faster lateral expansion(compared with the vertical growth),enlarges in summer and shrinks in winter.This research will provide important references and bases for evaluating thermal influences of warm pipeline on permafrost and for design,construction,operation and maintenance of pipelines in permafrost regions.

Characteristics of the active-layer under the China-Russia Crude Oil pipeline

Active layer is a key component for permafrost environment studies as many subsurface biological,biogeochemical,ecological,and pedogenic activities prevail in this layer.This study focuses on active layer temperature monitoring in an area with sporadic permafrost at two adjacent sites along China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline(CRCOP),NorthEast China.Site T1 is located in disturbed ground on the right-of-way(on-ROW)2 m away from the center of the oil pipeline.T2 is located in a natural and undisturbed site,around 16.6 m off-ROW.Our objective was to study seasonal variability of the active layer depth and thermal regime from October 2017 to September 2018.The monitoring sites consist of soil temperature probes arranged in a vertical array at different depths at both sites.The following parameters were computed:number of isothermal days(ID),freezing days(FD),thawing days(TD),freezing degree days(FDD),thawing degree days(TDD),number of freeze-thaw days(FTD).The mean air temperature in the monitoring period reached-3.2℃.The temperature profile indicates that the maximum active layer thickness observed during the study period was 10 m at T1 and 2 m at T2.The majority of the soil temperatures were above or close to 0℃,resulting in great values of TDD,especially in the first 4 m depth.TDD for T1 were predominant and ranged between 600-1160℃·days(0-4 m depth)reflecting the influence of oil temperature from the pipeline.In T2 borehole FDD were predominant for all the soil layer depths resulting in less permafrost degradation.This comparison emphasizes the significant influence of vegetation removal and the dispersed heat from the pipeline on the active layer thickness.

WAVELET TRANSFORM THRESHOLD NOISE REDUCTION METHODS IN THE OIL PIPELINE LEAKAGE MONITORING AND POSITIONING SYSTEM

This letter investigates the wavelet transform, as well as the principle and the method of the noise reduction based on wavelet transform, it chooses the threshold noise reduction, and discusses in detail the principles, features and design steps of the threshold method. Rigrsure, heursure, sqtwolog and minimization four kinds of threshold selection method are compared qualitatively, and quantitatively. The wavelet analysis toolbox of MATLAB helps to realize the computer simulation of the signal noise reduction. The graphics and calculated standard deviation of the various threshold noise reductions show that, when dealing with the actual pressure signal of the oil pipeline leakage, sqtwolog threshold selection method can effectively remove the noise. Aiming to the pressure signal of the oil pipeline leakage, the best choice is the wavelet threshold noise reduction with sqtwolog threshold. The leakage point is close to the actual position, with the relative error of less than 1%.

Centrifuge model test on performance of thermosyphon cooled sandbags stabilizing warm oil pipeline buried in permafrost

The thaw settlement of pipeline foundation soils in response to the operation of the first China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline along the eastern flank of the northern Da Xing'anling Mountains in Northeast China was simulated in a physical model test(with a similitude ratio of 1/73) in a geotechnical centrifuge. Two pipes of a supported and an unsupported section were evaluated over a testing period for simulating 20 years of actual pipeline operation with seasonal cyclically changing oil and ambient temperatures. The results show that pipe settlement of the supported pipe was 45% of settlement of the unsupported pipe. Settlement for the unsupported section was approximately 35% of the thaw bulb depth below the initial pipe elevation, only 30% of that for the supported pipe due to the influence of the supports. The final thaw bulbs extended approximately 3.6 and 1.6 times of the pipe diameter below the unsupported and supported pipe bottom elevations, respectively. The sandbag supports kept frozen during the test period because of cooling effect of the thermosyphons. The maximum bending stress induced over the 20 m span length from bearing of the full cover over the pipe would be equivalent to40% specified minimum yield strength(SMYS). Potential buckling of the pipe should be considered as the ground thaws.This study also offers important data for calibration and validation of numerical simulation models.

DISTRIBUTED OPTICAL FIBER SENSOR FOR LONG-DISTANCE OIL PIPELINE HEALTH

A fully distributed optical fiber sensor （DOFS） for monitoring long-distance oil pipeline health is proposed based on optical time domain reflectometry （OTDR）. A smart and sensitive optical fiber cable is installed along the pipeline acting as a sensor, The experiments show that the cable swells when exposed to oil and induced additional bending losses inside the fiber, and the optical attenuation of the fiber coated by a thin skin with periodical hardness is sensitive to deformation and vibration caused by oil leakage, tampering, or mechanical impact. The region where the additional attenuation occurred is detected and located by DOFS based on OTDR, the types of pipeline accidents are identified according to the characteristics of transmitted optical power received by an optical power meter, Another prototype of DOFS based on a forward traveling frequency-modulated continuous-wave （FMCW） is also proposed to monitor pipeline. The advantages and disadvantages of DOFSs based on OTDR and FMCW are discussed. The experiments show that DOFSs are capable of detecting and locating distant oil pipeline leakages and damages in real time with an estimated precision of ten meters over tens of kilometers.

Study on the Economic Insulation Thickness of the Buried Hot Oil Pipelines Based on Environment Factors

It is important to determine the insulation thickness in the design of the buried hot oil pipelines.The economic thickness of the insulation layer not only meets the needs of the project but also maximizes the investment and environmental benefits.However,as a significant evaluation,the environmental factors haven’t been considered in the previous study.Considering this factor,the mathematical model of economic insulation thickness of the buried hot oil pipelines is built in this paper,which is solved by the golden section method while considering the costs of investment,operation,environment,the time value of money.The environmental cost is determined according to the pollutant discharge calculated through relating heat loss of the pipelines to the air emission while building the model.The results primarily showed that the most saving fuel is natural gas,followed by LPG,fuel oil,and coal.The fuel consumption for identical insulation thickness is in the order:coal,fuel oil,LPG,and natural gas.When taking the environmental costs into account,the thicker the economic insulation layer is,the higher cost it will be.Meanwhile,the more pollutant discharge,the thicker the economic insulation layer will be.

Cold-region environments along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline and their management

The cold-region eco-environments along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline (CRCOP) in northern Northeast China are in disequilibrium due to the combined influences of pronounced climate warming and intensive anthropogenic activities.This is evidenced by the sharp areal reduction and northward shifting of the boreal forests,shrinking of wetlands,enhancing of soil erosion,accelerating degradation of permafrost and deteriorating of cold-region eco-environments.The degradation of permafrost plays an important role as an internal drive in the eco-environmental changes.Many components of the cold-region eco-environments,including frozen ground,forests,wetlands and peatlands,forest fires and 'heating island effect' of rapid urbanization,are interdependent,interactive,and integrated in the boreal ecosystems.The construction and long-term operation of the CRCOP system will inevitably disturb the cold-region environments along the pipeline.Therefore,a mandatory and carefully-elaborated environ-mental impact statement is indispensable for the proper mitigation of the ensued adverse impacts.Proper management,effective protection and practical rehabilitation of the damaged cold-region environments are a daunting,costly and long-term commitment.The recommended measures for protection and restoration of permafrost eco-environments along the pipeline route include adequate investigation,assessment and monitoring of permafrost and cold-region environments,compliance of pipeline construction and operation codes for environmental management,proper and timely re-vegetation,returning the cultivated lands to forests and grasslands,and effective mitigation of forest fire hazards.

Analysis of Offshore Oil Pipeline Floating Laying

-Based on the calculation model for the floating laying of the offshore oil pipeline, this paper analyses in detail the internal force, and deformation of the pipeline under a definite structural form (pipeline and buoy) and the way of pulling. The obtained results can be used for the buoy deployment, structure design, and the determination of pulling parameters (the pulling force of the cable and its length, etc.), providing an effective analysis method for floating pipeline-laying. A calculation example is given to show the related calculation process and the main results are analyzed and discussed.

An experimental study of the fracture propertiesof oil pipeline girth welds

The application of fracture mechanics to the “Fitness For Purpose” assessment of the fracture properties of pipeline girth welds is generally essential for the safe operation of oil pipeline systems. Based on the analysis of the fracture toughness requirements of the oil pipeline girth weld, a systematic study has been conducted on the fracture behavior of the API 5L X65 steel pipeline girth weld made by two welding materials. The critical COD values of the pipeline girth weld under the different temperatures are tested. In the paper other influential factors on fracture behavior are also discussed, such as the welding materials, the welding positions (flat welding, vertical welding, overhead welding), the welded joint area (weld, heat affected zone, fusion line and base metal) and the experiment temperature. The result shows that the welding material, the welded joint area and the experiment temperature have considerable influence on the fracture behavior of pipeline girth welds. It is also concluded that the effect of the welding position is related to the welding process. The study provides a scientific basis for the welding of oil pipelines.

Simulating Error-Opening of Pressure Relief Valves of a Station on a Continuous Undulating Oil Pipeline with Large Elevation Difference

For oil pipeline in mountain areas,high hydrostatic pressure in the pipeline may cause error-opening of pressure relief valves,and oil is discharged from the pipeline to the pressure relief tanks,bringing spilling-over risk of the pressure relief tanks.Therefore,simulating the error-opening situations of the pressure relief valves and investigating the oil discharge process are necessary for checking the possibility of the spilling-over accident and then proposing measures to improve the pressure relief system.This research focuses on a continuous undulating oil pipeline with large elevation difference and a station along this pipeline,which is named B station in this paper,is studied.By OLGA software,simulation model of the pressure relief system of B station is established,and the accuracy of the model is verified by reconstructing a real accident and making a comparison with the actual accident data.The maximum discharge rate reached 8284 m3/h when the pressure relief valve was opened by mistake in the inlet and outlet of the station.The accumulated filling time of the two pressure relief tanks is 200 s,which is in good agreement with the accident data.On this basis,for error-opening of the pressure relief valves at the inlet and outlet of B station,simulation is performed to investigate variations of the discharge velocity,discharge flow rate,accumulated discharge volume and ventilation volume of the vent valve.The discharge velocity is found to be over the maximum velocity allowed for safety consideration.According to the accumulated discharge volume,it is inferred that spilling over of the pressure relief tanks will be caused once error-opening of the pressure relief valve occurs.Also it is judged that the existing breathing valve can not satisfy the ventilation requirement in case of failure of the pressure relief valves.From these simulation results,it is proposed that increasing the number of vent valves,replacing the manual valves with electrically operated valves,and employing security control interlock protection program are improvement measures to guarantee safe,efficient and reliable operation of the pressure relief system at B station.

Numerical Study and Economy Analysis of Two Heated Crude Oil Pipelines Laid in One Ditch

In this paper,the transportation economy of two heated crude oil pipelines laid in one ditch is analyzed by taking into account the influence of operating temperature,interval between two pipelines,and distance between two heating stations on the heating energy consumption.To analyze the transportation economy,the two heated crude oil pipelines laid in one ditch are simulated under four operating conditions based on an unstructured finite volume method.Compared with laying two crude oil pipelines separately in two ditches,the results attest notably higher soil temperature,meaning reduced heat dissipation of each pipeline by laying two pipelines in one ditch.It is inferred that for the same desired oil temperature at the inlet of the next heating station,laying two pipelines in one ditch requires lower oil temperature at the outlet of heating station,indicating decreased energy cost at the heating station and improved transportation economy.Then economy analysis of four configurations of laying two pipelines in one ditch is performed.By comparing the results of four conditions,the interval between two pipelines of 1.2 m is found to save the energy most efficiently,which is as large as 26.6%compared with that of laying two pipelines in two separate ditches.In addition,narrowing the pipeline interval and extending the distance between heating stations is beneficial to save heating energy.This study is expected to provide valuable guidance for operation optimization of heated crude oil pipelines.

China, Bangladesh sign framework agreement on oil pipeline project

The Bangladeshi government signed a framework agreement with China for construction of a 220-km pipeline to carry oil from tankers in the Bay of Bengal to storage plants on Chinese mainland. Bangladesh＇s Economic Relations Department （ERD） Secretary Kazi Shofiqul Azam and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ma Mingqiang signed the framework agreement in the capital of Dhaka.

Research on Oil Pipeline Leak Detection and Location system

Because pipeline has large pipe diameter, large throughout and high pressure, once pipeline leakage accident happens, the damage is quite serious. In addition, pipeline leakage accident caused by man-made drilling oil stolen every year results in huge economic losses on oilfield. Therefore, a real-time and accurate pipeline leak detection and location system not only can effectively decrease leakage loss and reduce the waste of manpower and material resources in patrolling work, but also is conductive to the management of oil pipeline and improvement of economic efficiency of enterprise. The paper determines leak detection and location project giving priority to negative pressure wave and supplemented by flow parameter analysis. The method not only can judge the accidence of leakage timely and accurately, but also can effectively avoid leakage false alarm caused by start or stop pumps in pipeline.

An optimal flow rate allocation model of the oilfield treated oil pipeline network

Oilfield treated oil pipeline network is the link connecting the upstream oilfields and the downstream refineries.Due to the differences in operating costs and transportation fee between different pipelines and the fluctuation in the demand and sales prices of the treated oil,there is an optimal flow allocation plan for the pipeline network to make the oilfield company obtain the highest social and economic benefit.In this study,a mixed integer nonlinear programming(MINLP)model is developed to determine the optimal flow rate allocation plan of the large-scale and complex treated oil pipeline network,and both the social and economic benefits are considered simultaneously.The optimization objective is the multi-objective which includes the largest user satisfaction and the highest economic benefit.The model constraints include the oilfield production capacity,refinery demand,pipeline transmission capacity,flow,pressure,and temperature of the node and station,and the pipeline hydraulic and thermal calculations.Python 3.7 is utilized for the programming of the off-line calculation procedure and the MINLP model,and GUROBI 9.0.2 is served as the MINLP solver.Moreover,the model is applied to a real treated oil pipeline network located in China,and three optimization scenarios are analyzed.For social benefit,the values of the user satisfaction of each refinery and the total network are 1 before and after optimization for scenarios 1,2,and 3.For economic benefit,the annual revenue can be increased by 0.227,0.293,and 0.548 billion yuan after the optimization in scenario 1,2,and 3,respectively.

Stress corrosion cracking behavior of buried oil and gas pipeline steel under the coexistence of magnetic field and sulfate-reducing bacteria

Magnetic field and microorganisms are important factors influencing the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)of buried oil and gas pipelines. Once SCC occurs in buried pipelines, it will cause serious hazards to the soil environment. The SCC behavior of X80 pipeline steel under the magnetic field and sulfate-reducing bacteria(SRB) environment was investigated by immersion tests, electrochemical tests, and slow strain rate tensile(SSRT) tests. The results showed that the corrosion and SCC sensitivity of X80 steel decreased with increasing the magnetic field strength in the sterile environment. The SCC sensitivity was higher in the biotic environment inoculated with SRB, but it also decreased with increasing magnetic field strength, which was due to the magnetic field reduces microbial activity and promotes the formation of dense film layer. This work provided theoretical guidance on the prevention of SCC in pipeline steel under magnetic field and SRB coexistence.

Prediction on Failure Pressure of Pipeline Containing Corrosion Defects Based on ISSA-BPNNModel

Oil and gas pipelines are affected by many factors,such as pipe wall thinning and pipeline rupture.Accurate prediction of failure pressure of oil and gas pipelines can provide technical support for pipeline safety management.Aiming at the shortcomings of the BP Neural Network(BPNN)model,such as low learning efficiency,sensitivity to initial weights,and easy falling into a local optimal state,an Improved Sparrow Search Algorithm(ISSA)is adopted to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of BPNN,and an ISSA-BPNN failure pressure prediction model for corroded pipelines is established.Taking 61 sets of pipelines blasting test data as an example,the prediction model was built and predicted by MATLAB software,and compared with the BPNN model,GA-BPNN model,and SSA-BPNN model.The results show that the MAPE of the ISSA-BPNN model is 3.4177%,and the R2 is 0.9880,both of which are superior to its comparison model.Using the ISSA-BPNN model has high prediction accuracy and stability,and can provide support for pipeline inspection and maintenance.

The Spatial Optimization of Eastern China's Crude Oil Pipeline Network upon Cost Minimum

Eastern China＇s crude oil pipeline network is of the largest scale and freight volume in China.Here,we analyze 37 oil pipelines and one railway（38 oil flow channels）,20 oil fields with output of over a million tons of crude oil,and 32 refineries each of which refine over a million tons of crude oil.We construct a supply and demand balance sheet of oil sources and sinks by considering the transportation cost variance of variant pipeline diameters to determine the spatial optimization of Eastern China＇s pipeline network.In 2009,the optimal cost of this network was 34.5% lower than the total actual cost,suggesting that oil flow is overall inefficient and there is huge potential to improve flow efficiency.Within Eastern China,the oil flow of the Northeast network was relatively better than others,but the flow in Northern China is inefficient because all pipelines are underload or noload,and there were similar conditions in the Huanghuai region.We assumed no difference in pipeline transport speed,compared to rail or road transportation,thus transportation distance,rather than time,is the main influential factor under the definite transporting cost of variant pipeline diameters.