Pipelines are the most economical method for large-scale overland transportation of crude oil and natural gas, accounting for 70% of shipments in the US. Rail transport accounts for 3% of shipments but has a larger carbon footprint and safety issues, with more spills occurring in recent years than in the prior four decades. Trucking is less efficient due to limited cargo size but can access more locations. Shipping transports nearly all foreign oil imports and is second only to pipelines in volume and cost, but also poses environmental risks if spills occur.

1. CNPC Niger Petroleum S.A., Niamey, Niger
Petroleum Engineering English
Lecture 18: Transport
CNPC Niger Petroleum S.A.

2. Contents
• Lecture 18:Transport
• Lesson 1: Introduction
• Lesson 2: Oil Transport Methods

3. Introduction
Petroleum products power our cars, heat our homes, light our
buildings and move a myriad of consumer goods around the country.
The methods by which petroleum products – specifically oil – travels
is a fascinating, interconnected web of pipelines, rail lines, shipping
lines and trucking routes. Crude oil transportation is big business,
and in this chapter we will explore the process by which it finds its
way from remote areas of extraction and refinement to the end
consumer.

4. Contents
• Lecture 18:Transport
• Lesson 1: Introduction
• Lesson 2: Oil Transport Methods

5. Oil Transport Methods
According to an article by James Conca in Forbes Magazine “In the
US, 70% of crude oil and petroleum products are shipped by
pipeline, 23% of oil shipments are on tankers and barges over water,
trucking only accounts for 4% of shipments, and rail its tend to 3%.”
This highly integrated network of oil transport transmits and
distributes petroleum products across the United States and the
world. A basic breakdown of these distribution channels are:

6. Pipelines
The first pipeline was built in the United States in 1859 to transport
crude oil (Wolbert, 1952). Through the one and half century of
pipeline operating practice, the petroleum industry has proven that
pipelines are by far the most economical means of large-scale
overland transportation for crude oil, natural gas, and their products.

7. Pipelines
Transporting petroleum fluids with pipelines is a continuous and
reliable operation. Pipelines have demonstrated an ability to adapt to
a wide variety of environments including remote areas and hostile
environments. With very minor exceptions, largely due to local
peculiarities, most refineries are served by one or more pipelines,
because of their superior flexibility to the alternatives.

8. Pipelines

9. Pipelines
The pipelines are sized to handle the expected pressure and fluid
flow. To ensure desired flow rate of product, pipeline size varies
significantly from project to project. To contain the pressures, wall
thicknesses of the pipelines range from 3⁄8 inch to 11⁄2 inch.

10. Rail
For long distance crude oil transportation and refined products, rail is
a rapidly growing industry. A rail tank car can accommodate roughly
30,000 gallons of crude, and with 100 cars, that’s a significant
volume of oil. Transporting via rail generally carries a lower shipping
cost than the other three methods, but with it’s hefty carbon footprint,
minimal speed and reputation for accidents that have resulted in both
the loss of life and the spilling of millions of gallons of oil, it is not a
perfect mode of transport.

11. Rail

12. Rail
According to a piece by Curtis Tate in McClatchy DC Bureau, “More
crude oil was spilled in U.S. rail incidents (in 2014) than was spilled in
the nearly four decades since the federal government began collecting
data on such spills. Including major derailments in Alabama and North
Dakota, more than 1.15 million gallons of crude oil was spilled from rail
cars in 2013. By comparison, from 1975 to 2012, U.S. railroads spilled
a combined 800,000 gallons of crude oil

13. Trucking
From an accident standpoint and the simple fact that crude oil
transportation via truck limits the amount of product that can be
shipped, trucking as an oil transport method is easily accessible, but
not highly efficient.

14. Trucking

15. Trucking
According to StudentEnergy.org, “Trucks are often the last step in the
transport process, delivering oil and refined petroleum products to their
intended storage destinations.” Being less efficient than other methods
based on volume and capacity, the advantage of trucks is the ease
with which they can maneuver from point A to B.

16. Shipping
Oversea transport delivers crude oil to the United States from many
countries around the world, crossing oceans, skimming coastal
waters and traversing riverways. Shipping is responsible for nearly all
foreign oil imports and being second only to pipelines in volume and
cost, a 30,000-barrel tank barge can accommodate more oil than 45
rail cars and at a fraction of the cost.

17. Shipping

18. Shipping
They’re slow going compared to the other three transport methods
and from an environmental impact standpoint, shipping has the
potential to be the most detrimental. With inconsistent technology to
determine water depth and obstacles, compounded by good old
fashioned human error, the shipping industry has been responsible
for some truly devastating spills.

19. A Better You, A Better Niger