Presents a totally understandable view of pipeline inception, planning, construction, start-up, and operation. The authors’ experience has allowed them to expand but simplify the complexities of pipelines, including a totally revised chapter on equipment that provides a complete view of pipeline components.

In this edition of Oil and Gas Pipelines in Nontechnical Language, Tom Miesner and Bill Leffler leverage the hundreds of courses they have taught in the past decade, along with the interaction with their audiences, clients, and opposing attorneys to present a totally understandable view of pipeline inception, planning, construction, start-up, and operation. Those experiences allowed them to expand but simplify the complexities of pipelines, including a totally revised chapter on equipment that provides a complete view of pipeline components. A separate chapter on control systems updates this technology. An expanded discussion of pipeline integrity including the concept of risk management demonstrates how important the subjects of safety, reliability, efficiency, and environmental performance have become.

Hundreds of pictures, drawings, and graphs taken and developed by the authors since the first edition bring the material to life. With all these changes and upgrades, the final conclusion is the same as the first edition - an overriding challenge to the oil and gas pipeline industry remains balancing the needs and wants of the industry's myriad of stakeholders.

Features and Benefits

• Concise overviews of the various pipeline functions and operations.
• Individual coverage of oil, natural gas, and chemical pipeline operations and their differences.
• Descriptive photos, charts, and tables for easy comprehension.

About the Author

Tom Miesner spent over 25 years at Conoco Pipeline, retiring as President in 2003. Over those years, Tom held many industry positions including serving as Chairman of the Association of Oil Pipeline, and the Chairman of the Board of Explorer Pipe Line Company. After retiring from ConocoPhillips, Tom founded a boutique consulting business, serving clients in the oil and gas midstream industry. In 2008, Tom founded Pipeline Knowledge & Development to share his oil and gas pipeline knowledge with others. Since that time Tom has taught over 150 instructor led classes to over 2,500 students. His most popular class is Oil and Gas Pipeline Fundamentals.

Tom is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Tom is also a member of the Central Texas Angel Network where he invests in early stage companies and mentors entrepreneurs. His work passions center around helping midstream stakeholders understand the oil and gas midstream industries, improving the safety, reliability, efficiency and environmental performance of the oil and gas pipeline industry, and helping existing and start-up companies plan and execute effective strategies.

Bill Leffler is a prolific petroleum industry writer of magazine articles and books that almost all have the words in Nontechnical Language in the title.) His other books (some with co-authors) include:

• Petroleum Refining in Nontechnical Language
• Petrochemicals in Nontechnical Language
• Deepwater Exploration and Production - a Nontechnical Guide
• Oil & Gas Production in Nontechnical Language
• Natural Gas Liquids in Nontechnical Language

His favorite, a satire titled Romancing the Scone - Finding our way in a Land Full of Brits, is about ex-pats in the UK and the natives they meet.

Dr. Leffler earned an MBA and Ph.D. from New York University and a BS from MIT. After a commission in the U.S. Navy, he worked in the oil and gas and petrochemicals industries for 36 years in the U.S. and abroad. Following that he taught courses in universities and in companies on upstream, downstream, and petrochemicals for 20 years while pursuing his writing career.

About the authors Foreword Dedication Acknowledgement 1. The oil & gas midstream industry 2. The first leg 3. How pipelines differ 4. Equipment and components 5. How and why pipelines work 6. Natural gas pipeline field operations 7. Oil pipeline field operations 8. Petrochemical and NGL pipeline operations 9. Central control room operations 10. Controls, scada, alarms, and leak detection 11. Pipeline integrity 12. Investment decisions 13. Design and engineering 14. Pipeline and facility construction 15. Challenges for the future Index