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Exploration & Production (E&P)
Bringing Oil to the Surface
How it’s acquired.
How it’s used.
Re ning, Distribution, Marketing
Finished Product to End User
Upstream
CRUDE OIL PIPELINE
Downstream
How it’s transported & processed.
Storage, Processing, Transporting
Product from Wellhead to Marketers
Midstream
Gathering Lines
(A.K.A. “Flowlines”)
Small diameter (2- to 8-inch)
move product from wellhead to processing plant
Transmission Lines
Large diameter (12- to 56-inch)
move product from processing to distribution
Highly/easily piggable, easy to access
Can be rerouted, reversed
Typically located in more public areas,
often close to HCAs
Highly regulated/scrutinized
Frequently maintained/serviced
Less piggable, dif cult to access
Limited time in service
Typically located in more remote areas
Less regulated
Infrequently maintained/serviced
Today:
Extended life &
usage increase
Population growth
brings HCAs closer
Increased
Risk of
Failure
Reduced
Risk of
Failure
industry members will need to work together to get
ahead of the clock.
Transmission vs. Gathering: Same
Industry, Worlds Apart
To pipeline owners, operators, and service
providers, the oil and gas industry is divided into
three main segments. There’s upstream, which
refers to the operations and equipment running
to bring oil to the surface. Midstream comprises
all of the operations and transportation (including
pipelines) necessary for getting product from the
wellhead to the marketers. And downstream refers
to the distribution and marketing of the finished
product or supply of gas to power, commercial, and
domestic users. Each segment, in turn, has its own
pipelines. Transmission lines, for example, are a
part of the midstream segment: They move product
from processing to distribution. Gathering lines
(sometimes referred to as “flowlines”) move product
from the wellhead to the processing plant and are
also part of the midstream segment.
The world’s midstream
gathering pipelines are getting
older. And in order to prevent
even more incidents like the
Nefteyugansk leak, the industry
will need to work together to
get ahead of the clock.
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