Environmental Issues and Challenges of Chinese Abandoned Oil Pipelines

Abstract

China energy pipeline industry commonly faced with aging and abandonment problem. The research on pipeline abandonment was still in preliminary state, because there are no pipeline abandonment standards and guidelines. The foreign developed countries formulated pipeline abandonment standards, advanced experience and technology of residual cleaning and the crossing section grouting. But it not totally suitable for china because of difference between china and foreign country, such as the pipeline residual has a very high paraffin and resin-asphaltenes content. It is very hard to remove. So china pipeline company faced with many environmental issues and challenges in the pipeline abandonment. Study on abandonment of pipeline was conducted by pipeline company of Petrochina from 2013. A case of Petrochina abandonment pipeline was introduced in the paper, and it showed good effect. Some experience and technology of chemical cleaning were formulated from previous study and several pipeline abandonment projects. The first China industry standard on abandoned pipeline is applying for by pipeline company of Petrochina. This standard will assist pipeline company make pipeline abandonment plan to ensure public safety and environment protection.