ANALYSIS OF OPERATING CONDITIONS OF MAIN PIPELINES

Abstract

Pipelines are the most economical way of transporting oil, oil products and gas from the places of production and primary preparation over long distances by the shortest route with the least losses to the areas of their use and processing.

Significant service life and operational factors (vibration, static and dynamic load, damage to the insulating coating, subsidence of the soil, the occurrence of washed-out areas) cause fatigue and corrosion-fatigue damage to pipeline elements, which, in turn, leads to their destruction, causes significant economic losses and is a dangerous phenomenon from the point of view of safety and ecology.

Ukraine has a developed network of pipelines for the transportation of natural gas and oil and product pipelines. Main pipelines are the largest underground structures, the operation of which depends on the characteristics of interaction with the environment. The location of pipelines in hard-to-reach places complicates their diagnosis, which increases the probability of failure [1]. Even slight deviations of the actual operating conditions from those assumed to be initial can bring the entire pipeline system to the limit state.

Routes of main oil and gas pipelines pass through natural (lakes, swamps, rivers, etc.) and artificial (railway tracks, highways, etc.) obstacles.

Routes of main oil and gas pipelines pass through natural (lakes, swamps, rivers, etc.) and artificial (railway tracks, highways, etc.) obstacles.

Economically, pipelines are a reliable and environmentally safe way of transporting hydrocarbons. Their advantages are achieved thanks to good projects, high-quality equipment, materials and compliance with design parameters during construction and operation. However, these components do not always withstand, as a result of which accidents and failures occur on pipelines. Also, emergency situations are associated with their service life.