STORAGE AND TRANSPORT OF PETROLEUM AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

Prof. T. Kumar
Dept. of Petroleum Engg
IIT(ISM) Dhanbad - 826004

CENTRAL TANK FARM (CTF)

After separation and treatment the oil is stored in storage tanks before being sent to
the consumer. There is a central storage facility in the oil field called Central tank farm
(CTF). There are a number of tanks in series called tank battery means tanks in group.

Then we have to dispatch it. Before it goes out of the tank, crude stored must be
stabilized. Even here some vapour come out, sand or water in small amount may
separate out. So storage tank helps also to some extent in stabilization of crude that
has to be dispatched has to be tested before dispatch.

There are sampling devices that sample crude are taken out of the tank and are tested
for BS&W. If the quality is not matched then it has to be re-treated. But all the sample
are in sludge form so alternative is the

ACT- Automatic Custody Transfer

LACT: Lease Automatic Custody Transfer.

ACT is for a specific tank and LACT is for entire plant or for a particular field.

An oil field is eased to individual and there is a system. The process takes place
automatically. If quality is not matched for dispatch, the flow automatically goes to a
separate tank for treatment.

To some extent, semi-automatic system can be installed.

All above is part of storage. Oil storage can be classified as-

1. Tanks.

2. Reservoirs, which can be dug in ground itself. They can further be classified as-

i. Earthen reservoirs.

ii. Cement lines reservoirs.

Depending upon material, tanks can be classified as-

i. Wooden tanks.

ii. Plastic tanks.

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 iii. Steel tanks.

For storage acids, wooden tanks were used in the earlier days. Depending upon
construction, Steel yanks can further be classified as-

i. Bolted Tanks.

ii. Welded tanks.

iii. Riveted tanks

Depending upon the shape, Welded tanks are normally used. It is classified as-

i. Vertical tanks

ii. Spherical Tanks.

Depending upon the roof the vertical tanks are further classified as –

i. Fixed roof tanks.

ii. Floating roof tank.

In many places, heavy oil is stored in earthen reservoir, Canadian crudes have
smaller lighter content so they have very less loss and are stored in earthen
reservoirs.

Fixed Roof Tank

1 – Inlet out let pipe

2 – Ladder

3 – Sand Foundation

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4 – Rising Pipe

5 – Winch

6 – Manhole

7 – Gauging Manhole

8 – Breather Valve

11 – Vent

Floating Roof Tank

1 – Inlet out let pipe

2 – Ladder

3 – Sand Foundation

10 – Gate Valve

11 – Vent

12 – Floating Roof Support

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TRANSPORTATION OF PETROLEUM AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

1. Through Railway Automotive Transport.

2. Transportation through Road tankers

3. Transportation through Pipe lines

4. Transportation through Sea ships/ tankers

Petroleum and natural gas should be transported form their production sites to
refining and processing plants, where from the final products must be delivered and
distributed to the concerns. One of the most common means of transporting petroleum
is railway by which both petroleum today can be carried to any location situated near
a railway track. But pipeline system is much more convenient for transporting
petroleum. Modern long distance pipelines known as trunk lines can transport
petroleum for hundreds and even thousands of kilometres.

In connection with the growing export of petroleum from producing countries

and for the higher profit of sea and river transportation of petroleum and its products.
Many trunk lines are laid from petroleum fields to sea ports. Petroleum processing
plants are built near the later.

RAILWAY AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORT

In-spite of the intensive network of petroleum pipelines, considerable load of petroleum

are transported by railway wagons and tank-lorries. Petroleum and its products are
transported in two and four axle tank cars. More often in 50 cu m capacity. Four axle
tank cars are equipped with 1 cu.mt capacity domes, through which the tank cars are
filled. The domes are closed with hinged load-lids. Special tank cars loading racks are
employed to facilitate filling the tank cars. Petroleum and petroleum products are fed
through a pipeline running parallel to the track and near the hauling point of the train
of tank cars.

Petroleum and petroleum products are unloaded on special tank cars unloading
racks. Different petroleum products should never be loaded or unloaded on the same
racks, unless their properties remain similar on mixing. In large concerning centres,
petroleum products are delivered to their individual customers (garage, tractors,
stations, individual enterprises etc.) mainly by special gasoline, kerosene and oil tank-
lorries.

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TANKERS

The advantages of transporting petroleum by tanker units as against railway transport

system are-

i. Greater capacity of petroleum tankers.

ii. Cheapness during loading and unloading.

Tankers are generally adopted for transportation of only one petroleum product. Some
tankers are designed to carry various petroleum products in separate tanks. The
distinguishing features of such tankers are separate loading and unloading
mechanism through different devices. The carrying capacity of such tankers are 100
– 150 thousand tonnes and even more.

In 1966, the “Torry Canyon”, one of the largest tanker met with a disaster which
led to serious consequences. It was launched in USA in 1959 and this 118,000 tones
tanker became the World’s third largest tanker after “Idemitsu Maru” and “Tokyo
Maru”. It was 320 meter long, 40 meter wide and had 18 tanks.

PETROLEUM PIPELINES

It is far cheaper to pump petroleum & its products along pipelines to their
destinations than to transport by rail or road. The cost of transportation through
pipeline is from 25 – 50% less than that by rail or road. The losses of petroleum and
petroleum products are minimised and the entire transportation process can be
automated. In many fields petroleum is pumped directly to the refineries and
processing plants of those products which are produced in large amount are also
delivered to their storage along with special petroleum product pipelines.

GAS PIPELINES

Gas is delivered through a network of pipelines from 100 – 200 mm in diameter

to streets and industrial enterprises. Smaller diameter pipes branch off from mains to
residential blocks and apartments. Gas is usually delivered along with lines at the
pressure between 50 and 60 atmospheres. The pressure of urban gas supply is
usually from 0.2 – 2.0 gauge atmospheres.

One of main tasks in the construction of a gas pipeline is to ensure the

maximum possible transport of gas at the minimum cost of its construction, operation
and maintenance. The gas is purified, dried and the natural gasoline is extracted at
the head station of every gas trunk line. Long distance transportation of gas largely
depends on the development of large diameter pipe manufacturing industry requiring
high quality steel pipe manufacturing.

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UNDERGROUND AND ABOVE GROUND STORAGE OF PETROLEUM

In towns and cities the daily fluctuations in gas consumption amount to millions of cubic
meters. The normal gas supply of cities can be ensured either by gas mains rated for
maximum seasonal or daily peak “peak” consumption, or by large gas storage facilities
(gas-holders, etc.) which during the “decline” periods are filled to their full capacity,
thus forming a reserve for meeting the high demand during seasonal and daily “peak”
consumption.

The problem of storing large volumes of natural gas was solved by the creation
of underground storage facilities. Since, under natural conditions, gas is held in
structural and other traps over long periods of time, it was reasonable to conclude, that
traps in underground rock structures near large towns could be utilized as gas
reservoirs.

They also serve as gas supply regulators; during peak hours and seasons,
particularly in winter, the gas delivered through the conventional gas mains is
augmented by the gas from these natural underground reservoirs, and vice versa:
when the consumption falls, any excess gas is directed to the underground reservoirs.

TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF LIQUEFIED GASES

The fact that propane and butane and their mixtures liquefy readily under
pressures of several atmospheres led to the birth of a special branch of the gas
industry, which is exclusively concerned with supplying towns, villages, and industrial

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enterprises with liquefied propane or mixture of propane, butane, and iso-butane. The
pressure necessary to liquefy propane at 25oC should be 10 gauge atmospheres; at
45oC, 15 gauge atmospheres.

The pressures at which butane liquefies are approximately 2 and 4 gauge

atmospheres, respectively. At room temperature propane-butane mixtures usually
liquefy under pressures ranging from 3 to 5 gauge atmospheres. Such liquefied gas is
transported in steel cylinders which can be connected to domestic gas stoves or to the
burners of boilers and other units.

From processing plants and petroleum refineries, propane and butane are
transported under pressure in railway tank cars. On arrival at their destination, propane
or propane-butane mixture is discharged into stationary spherical or cylindrical
reservoirs in which the liquefied gas mixture is held under a pressure necessary to
keep it liquid.

The transportation and storage of liquefied natural gas are accompanied by

difficulties due to its exceedingly low temperature. Methane boils at -161.4oC at
atmospheric pressure and can be stored under pressures of 2-3 atmospheres without
boiling at temperatures as low as -154oC to -156oC.

Liquid methane stored in tanks can be utilized for the same purposes as stored
in underground reservoirs, i.e., for taking care of seasonal gas consumption
fluctuations. For this purpose, the liquid methane must be re-gasified before being fed
into the gas mains, by heating and vaporizing it with steam in special installations. The
resulting gas enters the gas pipeline under the requisite pressure for its further
transmission along the municipal gas supply network.

After successful transportation of methane by sea the system of river

transporting liquefied natural gas has been also developed. Liquefied natural gas is
now being transported by sea in tankers. Each tanker carries 500 million cubic meters
of natural gas in terms of gas per haul. The figure below shows the tanker “Jules
Verne” which transports liquefied methane.

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