Oil and Gas Pipeline Questions, Topic 7 1

7.5 Tutorial Topic 7

The numerical answers are provided as a guide only as decisions and

assumptions taken during the procedures will affect the end result. Note that
some of the theory for water treatment processes is covered elsewhere in the
course.

1. Estimate the pressure drop along a 40 km, 30 in diameter horizontal

pipeline carrying the following fluids:
a) Condensate flowing at a rate of 5500 t/d, with density 700 kg/m3
and viscosity 5.6x10-4 Ns/m2..
b) Gas flowing at a rate of 80 mmscfd, with sg 0.8 and viscosity
1x10-5 Ns/m2. Take the upstream pressure to be 20 bara and a
flowing gas temperature of 15.5C (assume the gas acts as an
ideal gas).
c) A two phase mixture of the above streams

Use the Weymouth equation and take a pipeline efficiency to be 0.95.

(answer: a) 0.11 bar, b) 0.5 bar, c) 5.5 bar)

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2. Recalculate the pressure drop for the gas phase using the Panhandle B
equation. Compare the results.
(0.42 bar, 5 bar)

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3. Oil is to be transported overland, through a 24 diameter pipeline, at a

rate of 40,000 t/day, over a distance of 200 km, to some processing
plant. The attached figure (Figure Q3) shows an elevation profile for this
pipeline.
a) Calculate the inlet pressure of the pump required to overcome the
frictional losses and to avoid vaporisation of the light ends in the
oil at the receiving terminal.
b) Plot the changes in internal pressure in the pipeline.
c) If the pipeline is designed for maximum internal pressure of 70 barg,
recommend the location of the required intermediate pumping
station assuming a smaller powered pump is used for the
intermediate pumping station.

Additional data is as follows:

Density of oil at the pipeline conditions is 820 kg/m3.
Dynamic viscosity of oil at pipeline conditions is 10-2 Ns/m2.
Vapour pressure of oil at pipeline temperature is 8 barg.

(answer: a) Inlet pressure set at 1236m (100 bar). b) ask, c)

Intermediate station should be placed at 130 km from inlet)

Attached terrain profile chart:

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Figure Q3: Terrain Profile for Q3

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Oil and Gas Pipeline Questions, Topic 7 7

Flowrate 40000 tonnes/day Length 200 km Diameter 24 in

40000000 kg 1 day 200000 m 609.6 mm
day 86400 0.6096 m
462.963 kg/s

Density 820 kg/m3 Viscosity 1.00E-02 Ns/m2

Volumetric flowrate 0.565 m3/s

Pipe csa 0.292 m2
Velocity 1.934 m/s
Reynolds 9.67E+04
Friction factor (smooth bore pipe) 2.25E-03
friction pressure drop 9042873 Pa
1124 m of fluid

Vapour pressure 8 barg Maximum internal pressure 70 barg

800000 Pa 7000000 Pa g
901325 Pa - absolute 7101325 Pa - abs
112 m of fluid 883 m of fluid
Note 101325 Pa
13 m of fluid
Step 1: Work out the frictional loss, put the vapour pressure limit in terms of
m fluid, and the maximum working pressure.
Pressure Profiles
Distance from suction 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Ht above Sea Level 0 5 10 16 32 60 90 95 60 20 0
Friction pressure 1124.148 1011.733 899.3185 786.9037 674.4889 562.0741 449.6593 337.2444 224.8296 112.4148 0
Vap Pressure line 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466 112.0466

FF+Vap P 1236.195 1123.78 1011.365 898.9503 786.5355 674.1206 561.7058 449.291 336.8762 224.4614 112.0466

Pmax 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882 882.7882

Int Pressure profile 1236.195 1118.78 1001.365 882.9503 754.5355 614.1206 471.7058 354.291 276.8762 204.4614 112.0466

Step 2: Now put in the lines the two limit lines lower vapour pressure
limit and the max limit. Next draw in the friction loss line. Next add on the
VP limit to the end of the friction loss line. What this means is that the
pressure at the end of the pipeline will be above the VP limit

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Oil and Gas Pipeline Questions, Topic 7 8

Subtract off the elevation from the previous (dashed) friction loss line to get
the pipeline internal profile.

There are 2 options for a booster pump. The first is to use a large pump
which takes the inlet pressure up to the max working line. This means that
we then drop to just above the VP limit line about 130km away from the
inlet. Note that Ive taken the VP limit to be above the hill so that when the
pressure drops we don't get vaporisation.

Option 2 is to have two similar sized pumps an din that case I think the
booster and main pumps have a delivery head of 700m of fluid, booster
placed 100 km.

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Oil and Gas Pipeline Questions, Topic 7 9

4. A 10 km pipeline of diameter 0.3 m is used to transport 250 m3/hr of oil

and 300 m3/hr of gas (at pipeline conditions) from a wellhead into a sub-
sea production facility. Additional data is as follows:
Gas density and viscosity are 10 kg/m3 and 1.1x10-5 Ns/m2
respectively.
Oil density and viscosity are 850 kg/m3 and 4.9x10-3 Ns/m2
respectively.
Pressure and temperature at the wellhead is 20 bar and 90C
respectively.
Assume compressibility of gas is 0.97.
Take the pipeline efficiency to be 0.95.

Assuming the pipeline can be treated as horizontal, calculate the

pressure drop for the two-phase flow.
(10.5 bar, gas is 0.03bar, oil 2.9bar)

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Oil and Gas Pipeline Questions, Topic 7 11

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5. Oil and gas are transported from a subsea installation to a platform 6 km

away. Additional data is as follows:
Flowrate of oil at pipeline conditions is 5700 b/d.
Density of oil at pipeline conditions is 870 kg/m3.
Viscosity of oil at pipeline conditions 6x10-4 Ns/m2.
Gas flowrate at pipeline conditions 1.13 mcfd.
Density of gas at pipeline conditions is 6 kg/m3.
Viscosity of gas at pipeline conditions is 2x10-5 Ns/m2.
Pressure at sub-sea manifold is 21 bara.
(cont.)
Assume a pipeline efficiency of 0.95, a gas specific gravity of 1 and a
gas compressibility factor of 1 and, using an 8 diameter pipeline,
determine the following:
a) The expected flow pattern in the pipeline.
b) The pressure drop along the sub-sea pipeline

(answer: a) Annular flow, b) approx. 6 bar)

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6. A 30 inch diameter carries oil (density 820 kg/m3, viscosity 3cP) across
the land elevation profile depicted below. The design velocity is 1.5 m/s.
a) Calculate the frictional pressure drop along the pipeline and hence
determine the pressure at the inlet, assuming the pipe were
horizontal and not traversing over the terrain.
b) There is a minimum internal pressure in the pipeline of 5 barg set to
avoid vaporisation of the oil, and there is a hill located at 3 km from
the suction point. Calculate the inlet pressure and exit pressure for
the pipeline to ensure no vaporisation of the oil occurs.(Hint draw the
pressure profile on a suitable graph)
(ans: a) 31.4m of head b) 472 m, to 131m gauge. )

Density 820 kg/m3 Length 8750 m Diameter 30 in

Velocity 1.5 m/s 8750 m 762 mm
Pipe csa 0.456 m2 0.762 m
Volumetric flowrate 0.684 m3/s
4.31 bbl/s 372462.6
Viscosity 3.00E-02 Ns/m2

Reynolds 3.12E+04
Friction factor (smooth bore pipe) 2.98E-03

friction pressure drop 252417.8 Pa

31.4 m
Minimum pressure 5 barg
500000 Pa
601325 Pa - absolute
62.16 m gauge
74.75 m

Distance from suction 0 1000 2300 3000 5500 6250 7100 7700 8750
Ht above Sea Level 100 250 205 500 200 320 200 350 410
Friction line 31.4 27.8 23.1 20.6 11.7 9.0 5.9 3.8 0.0
Min pressure line 62.2 62.2 62.2 62.2 62.2 62.2 62.2 62.2 62.2
Min pressure + profile 162.2 312.2 267.2 562.2 262.2 382.2 262.2 412.2 472.2
FF+Vap P 572.9 569.3 564.7 562.2 553.2 550.5 547.5 545.3 541.5
diff 410.8 257.2 297.5 0.0 291.0 168.3 285.3 133.1 69.4
Pmax 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
472.9 131.5

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Oil and Gas Pipeline Questions, Topic 7 14

Because of the hill at 3000m, the gauge pressure in the line would fall to 0 if we
didn't take account of the vapour pressure. So Ive added a dashed line which
accounts for the vapour pressure limit. This means that we raise the pump head
up so that it clears the top of the hill + the extra needed for the VP limit. Note
that the answers for delivered head are the difference between the head on
the chart the elevation of the land profile itself. This is the delivery pressure
since the pump is going to sit on the ground at 100m of elevation.

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Oil and Gas Pipeline Questions, Topic 7 15

7. A 30 inch diameter carries oil (density 820 kg/m3, viscosity 3cP) across
the land elevation profile depicted below. The design velocity is 1.5 m/s.
The maximum working pressure in the pipeline is 48 barg, and the
minimum pressure for the oil is 5barg. Determine the following:
a) The delivery pressure of the pump assuming there is no limit to the
pipeline working pressure.
b) Determine the location of booster stations assuming that each pump
boost pressure up to the maximum working pressure in the line.
c) Determine the pressure at the exit point of the pipeline.

(ans: a) 653 m of fluid, b) 1 booster station, 29 km, c) 5.2 barg)

NB I had the viscosity wrong in the previous version to this question factor
of x10 high which caused the pressure values to be high.

Same flows as previous, but the distance is now 90 km so the pump is larger.
Velocity 1.5 m/s Length 90 m Diameter 30 in
Viscosity 3.00E-03 Ns/m2 90000 m 762 mm
Density 820 kg/m3 0.762 m
Pipe csa 0.456037 m2
Reynolds 3.12E+05
Friction factor (smooth bore pipe) 1.67E-03

friction pressure drop 1460005 Pa Maximum internal pressure 48 barg

181.4979 m 4800000 Pa g
Minimum pressure 5 barg 596.7032 m
500000 Pa
601325 Pa - absolute
62.15658 m gauge Note 101325 Pa
74.75262 m 12.59603 m

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Oil and Gas Pipeline Questions, Topic 7 16

Distance from suction 0 10 23 30 55 62.5 71 77 90

Ht above Sea Level 100 250 205 500 200 320 200 350 410
Friction line 181.4979 161.3314 135.1151 120.9986 70.5825 55.45768 38.31622 26.21636 0
Min pressure line 62.15658 62.15658 62.15658 62.15658 62.15658 62.15658 62.15658 62.15658 62.15658
Min pressure + profile 162.1566 312.1566 267.1566 562.1566 262.1566 382.1566 262.1566 412.1566 472.1566
FF for Min pressure 653.6545 633.488 607.2717 593.1552 542.7391 527.6143 510.4728 498.373 472.1566
diff 491.4979 321.3315 340.1151 30.99859 280.5825 145.4577 248.3162 86.21637 1.51E-05
Pmax 596.7032 596.7032 596.7032 596.7032 596.7032 596.7032 596.7032 596.7032 596.7032

Option for pump 60.49929 40.33286 14.1165 593.1552 542.7391 527.6143 510.4728 498.373 472.1566

Option 1 0 10 29.5 29.5 55 62.5 71 35.5 90

596.7032 576.5368 537.2122 596.7032 545.2788 530.154 513.0125 584.6034 474.6963

We are not asked for the internal profile, we are asked to make sure we don't
exceed the working pressure. As before
1. Put in the vp limit line over the terrain
2. Draw in the friction line
3. Add on the minimum pressure point for the exit of the pump and check
the condition at the hill at 30km. The pump line should be above the
minimum pressure line.
4. Draw in the max working pressure line

Max pressure is at 596 m of fluid, so start the first pump off at 596m. Draw in
the friction loss line until it crosses the minimum pressure line over the terrain.
This takes place at 29km. 1st booster goes here.

Start again at Pmax and draw in friction loss line. In this example, the friction
line doesn't cross any more minimum pressure lines and so it goes right to the
exit

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