Oil and Petroleum Systems Flashcards
7 cards from real Energy and Utilities practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Oil and Petroleum Systems flashcards as text
What is the primary purpose of a pipeline 'pig' in crude oil transmission systems?
Answer: To inspect, clean, or maintain the interior of a pipeline
Pipeline pigs are devices sent through a pipeline to clean deposits, inspect for corrosion or defects, or separate different products without interrupting flow.
What is the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)?
Answer: The world's largest government-owned emergency crude oil stockpile stored in underground salt caverns
The SPR holds hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil in underground salt caverns along the Gulf Coast and can be released by presidential order during supply disruptions.
Which federal agency is primarily responsible for regulating the safety of oil and gas pipelines in the United States?
Answer: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
PHMSA, within the DOT, develops and enforces safety regulations for pipeline transportation of hazardous materials including oil and natural gas.
What is the primary purpose of a LACT (Lease Automatic Custody Transfer) unit?
Answer: To automatically measure and transfer legal ownership of oil from producer to pipeline operator
A LACT unit automatically measures oil volume and quality at the transfer point between the producer's lease and the pipeline, establishing the legal custody transfer.
What type of crude oil is characterized by high density, high viscosity, and difficulty flowing at room temperature?
Answer: Heavy crude
Heavy crude has low API gravity (typically below 22.3°), high viscosity, and often requires heating or diluents to flow through pipelines.
In oil well terminology, what is a 'Christmas tree'?
Answer: An assembly of valves, spools, and fittings used to control flow at a completed wellhead
A Christmas tree is the equipment assembly installed on top of a completed well to control production flow, with its branching valves and fittings resembling a decorated tree.
What is the primary environmental concern with crude oil spills in water bodies?
Answer: Oil forms a surface slick that blocks oxygen exchange and coats wildlife, disrupting the ecosystem
Oil slicks block sunlight and oxygen transfer at the water surface, coat and kill birds and marine mammals, and introduce toxic compounds into the food chain.