Thursday, May 12, 2016

Safe Means Of Crude Oil Transportation

By Eric Phillips


Crude oil is a valuable commodity. Owing to the many uses of petroleum products, it is always on the move to and from refining industries. However, this product is very delicate and thus requires a very sensitive method of handling it. On how delicate it is a clear list of factors of consideration needs to be scrutinized before opting on crude oil transportation.

One of the factors of consideration is the safety of these methods. It is highly flammable and should be kept away from any fire sources. More so, putting out fires is always a hard task compared to how quick it spreads. Massive property distraction and loss of lives turn out to be a reality when such events come to pass.

To add up to this is the reliability of the means of transporting. Its transportation has turned out to be an industry on its own driven by the desire of making profits upon provision of this service. The method used should be efficient in delivering it in time and in the desirable state. Unreliable methods cause a stagnation of capital in the industry.

The cost and accessibility of means are to the same extent relevant. The means to be chosen should be affordable in as much as the business of transportation is concerned. Some means are also limited to the geographical locations of the center of delivery. It is, therefore, important to choose a means that will be able to cover a vast region.

Upon a critical analysis, one may end up settling for several means of transport. Some are railway trucks, road trucks, use of pipeline, truck barges just to mention a few. These methods have their advantages and shortcomings depending on the context of its application.

The use of pipelines is one of the oldest and most common used. They are composed of well-laid pipes that run along different areas. The movement of crude oil is done through pumping. They mainly connect the oil mining areas or delivery ports to refining companies. They usually are not subject to the risks of accidents. These pipes can cheaply be maintained. However, the oil leak is a problem associated with pipelines.

Another method that is used most often is the oil trucks along the roads. They can access any place that has a road network making them flexible. Their presence on the roads has, however, led to increased congestion. They are also prone to fire accidents since there is unlimited fire causing agents along the road. These fire outbreaks prove to be very disastrous.

Along most railway lines there are special lines designed for the transporting this mineral. This method was developed so as to ease the pressure of only using the pipeline and road trucks. They usually are very reliable when it comes to delivery. However, they are typically slow hence not used in an urgent situation.

Tank barges are restricted on transporting it along water bodies. They are not common. However, they usually are cheaper compared to the pipeline. Before being used as for crude oil purposes they were used for petrochemical products. They can still be used to transport the petroleum products from the refining company to the market.




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