Energy and Utilities Oil and Petroleum Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a pipeline 'pig' in crude oil transmission systems?
- To measure the flow rate at custody transfer points
- To inspect, clean, or maintain the interior of a pipeline (Correct answer)
- To control pressure surges caused by pump shutdowns
- To sample oil quality at metering stations
Correct 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.
Question 2: What is the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)?
- A network of federally owned oil refineries for emergency production
- The world's largest government-owned emergency crude oil stockpile stored in underground salt caverns (Correct answer)
- A regulatory program that limits domestic crude oil exports
- A pipeline system maintained by PHMSA for emergency distribution
Correct 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.
Question 3: Which federal agency is primarily responsible for regulating the safety of oil and gas pipelines in the United States?
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
- The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) (Correct answer)
- The Department of Energy (DOE)
Correct 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.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a LACT (Lease Automatic Custody Transfer) unit?
- To shut down production automatically during a pipeline leak
- To automatically measure and transfer legal ownership of oil from producer to pipeline operator (Correct answer)
- To monitor pipeline integrity using inline inspection tools
- To filter contaminants and water from crude oil before storage
Correct 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.
Question 5: What type of crude oil is characterized by high density, high viscosity, and difficulty flowing at room temperature?
- Sweet crude
- Light crude
- Heavy crude (Correct answer)
- Condensate
Correct 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.
Question 6: In oil well terminology, what is a 'Christmas tree'?
- A multi-well drilling platform used in offshore fields
- An assembly of valves, spools, and fittings used to control flow at a completed wellhead (Correct answer)
- A type of separator that removes liquids from gas streams
- A pipeline junction connecting multiple producing wells to a gathering system
Correct 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.
Question 7: What is the primary environmental concern with crude oil spills in water bodies?
- Oil significantly raises water temperature, killing cold-water species
- Oil forms a surface slick that blocks oxygen exchange and coats wildlife, disrupting the ecosystem (Correct answer)
- Spilled crude oil rapidly acidifies water and kills algae
- Oil dissolves into water and creates toxic concentrations throughout the water column
Correct 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.
Energy and Utilities Oil and Petroleum Systems 2
What is the primary purpose of a pipeline 'pig' in crude oil transmission systems?