Sustainable crude oil transportation: design optimization for pipelines considering thermal and hydraulic energy consumption

Abstract The oil and gas industry has paid increasing attention to energy consumption and is taking steps to reduce emissions owing to growing environmental concerns. In this study, a method for designing the optimization of crude oil pipelines is proposed to achieve both construction and energy consumption cost reductions. The method applied in this study is derived from a mathematical programming model with minimal annual construction depreciation cost and energy consumption cost as the objective functions. The model aims to determine the size of the pipeline, as well as the location and operational plan of each station. The hydraulic and thermal calculations, the relationship between viscosity and temperature, and the uncertainty of the flow rate are all included to ensure that the model satisfies all engineering demands. In terms of its application, the constructed model has been applied to two real cases to verify its effectiveness and potential to achieve energy conservation. Moreover, the energy consumption and CO2 emission were estimated and analyzed with varying electricity and fuel prices, as well as varying flow rate. The results demonstrate that the construction plan is not affected by the price of electricity, while fuel prices and flow rates are the main factors influencing both the construction and operational plans.