Oil and Gas pipelines

Introduction 

Pipelines for the transportation of liquids and gases across vast distances are the most convenient and efficient means of transportation available. It is possible to move even solids via pipes after they have been converted into a slurry. Oil India Limited (OIL), which operates under the organisational system of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, is involved in the discovery, extraction, and shipping of oil and natural gas in India. Oil India Limited (OIL) built Asia’s first cross-country pipeline, which runs from the Naharkatiya to the Barauni refinery over 1,157 kilometres.

Oil and Gas pipelines

Indian oil pipelines are numerous; some of the largest pipelines in India are:

Naharkatiya-Noonmati-Barauni Pipeline (1152 km): This is among the first Indian oil pipelines built by OIL to transport crude oil from the Naharkatiya reservoir in Assam to the Barauni oil refineries through the Noonmati oil refineries, and it is the longest pipeline in the country. The pipeline was constructed in two phases, the first in 1962 between Naharkatiya and Moran and in 1964 between Naharkatiya and Noonmati. The pipeline was expanded from the Noonmati refinery to the Barauni refinery during the second phase (1964)(Bihar). It can transport about 40 lakh metric tonnes of oil per year. There are 78 minor and big rivers that the pipeline crosses. 

• Barauni-Haldia Pipeline: This pipeline was built in 1966. It was designed to transport refined petroleum products to Haldia port.
• Barauni-Kanpur Pipeline: This pipeline, which was constructed in 1966, was designed to convey refined petroleum products to the city of Kanpur.
• The Noonmati-Bongaigaon Pipeline: This pipeline was built to transfer crude oil to the Bongaigaon petrochemical complex in Uttar Pradesh.
• The Haldia-Mourigram-Rajbandh Pipeline, completed in 1998, transports crude oil from India to Pakistan.

The Mumbai-Ankleshwar-Koyali Pipeline: the pipeline connects the offshore of Mumbai and Gujarat with the Koyali refinery in Gujarat, and it is the world’s longest pipeline. It is planned to connect Mumbai with Bombay High through a 210-kilometre-long twin pipeline to transport crude oil and natural gas, which will be completed in 2018. Originally built to deliver crude oil to the nearby Koyali refinery, the Ankleshwar-Koyali pipeline was finished in 1965.

The Salaya-Koyali-Mathura Pipeline: This pipeline, which runs from Salaya (in the Gulf of Kachchh) to Koyali and Mathura through Viramgram, was built to provide crude oil to the Mathura refinery. It is 1075 kilometres in length. Following its completion in Mathura, it was extended to the Panipat oil refinery in Haryana and the city of Jalandhar in Punjab. An offshore terminal is located on the island, and the pipeline’s Salaya-Koyali segment was completed in 1978, with the Viramgram-Mathura segment finished in 1981.

Mathura-Delhi-Ambala-Jalandhar Pipeline: This 513 km long pipeline was built to transport refinery products from Mathura to the major cities of the country’s northern and northern west states. It was inaugurated in December 2010.

Pipelines in Gujarat: There are many short pipelines in Gujarat that deliver crude oil and natural gas to refineries and refined goods to consumers. Among these are the Kalol-Sabarmati, Navagam-Kalol-Koyali, Cambay-Dhuvaran, and the Ankleshwar-Uttran gas pipeline.

Mumbai Pipelines: Pipelines have been established from Mumbai to Pune and Manmad to supply petroleum goods to customers.

Haldia-Kolkata Pipeline: The Haldia goods are transported to Kolkata and other nearby urban areas via this pipeline system.

The Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HBJ) Gas Pipeline: This pipeline transports natural gas from Hazira to Vijaipur and Jagdishpur. With a total length of 1750 kilometres, this pipeline is the longest in India. It crosses 75 rivers, both large and minor, and 29 railroad crossings. The Gas Authority of India was responsible for establishing it. There are connections between Kawas (Gujarat), Anta (Rajasthan), Bijaipur (Maharashtra), Jagdishpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Auraiya (U.P.). 

The Kandla-Bhatinda Pipeline: This pipeline distributes imported crude oil from the Kandla seaport to the Bhatinda refinery, located in Gujarat.

In South India, 90C is constructing a 683 km long pipeline at the cost of around Rs. 400 crores, which would transport petroleum products from Chennai to Trichy and Madurai.

Why is Petrol Refined?

It is necessary to refine crude oil since it contains a large number of pollutants that must be eliminated throughout the extraction and refining process. This results in the production of various petroleum products such as light oil products, paraffin, petrol, lubricant, bituminous, diesel, and jet fuel, among others. Refining is a time-consuming procedure that necessitates significant financial expenditure.

Conclusion 

India has vast natural gas reserves; yet, the infrastructure for transporting natural gas throughout the country is not well developed. Natural gas is beneficial to the environment since the by-products are not particularly hazardous to the atmosphere when burned. Natural gas produces just water and hydrogen as by-products, both of which may be recycled or absorbed. In 1987, the first interstate pipeline in India was completed and put into service. GAIL was the first company to lay a pipeline, and it was the Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur pipeline that was completed in 1987. Natural gas transportation pipes with a total distance of 15000 kilometres were completed in 2014.