Due to its variable composition and the large number of substances that compose it, before being used, the oil must go through a process of separation and purification of its components. This is done in the refineries of oil. But how does the oil get there?
In addition, the transportation of oil is carried out in Brazil to carry out imports and exports of crude oil and derivatives, for the flow of production from exploration oil fields to storage and processing facilities and for product distribution processed.
Therefore, the transportation of oil and its derivatives constitutes an important step in the process of production and use of this product. So, see how it's done:
Once the oil is extracted, it is first transported to the shipping ports. And to take the oil are used pipelines and pipelines, that are underground pipes that transport oil and gas respectively. These pipelines can be terrestrial (built on land) or submarine (built on the seabed). They are located on a larger scale in coastal regions ─ connecting platforms with terminals and these between themselves and the refineries.
Large tankers, known as oil tankers, also carry out this transport. These ships are called supertankers, due to its gigantic size, with up to 500 meters long and 70 meters wide. To get an idea of how extensive they are, the crew of these ships use bicycles to cross the deck. Today, oil tankers have the capacity to transport more than 500,000 tpb, as is the case of the so-called ULCC (Ultra-Large Crude Carrier).
Also because of their size, supertankers do not dock at conventional seaports; however, to transfer the load to land and vice versa, maritime terminals located in coastal areas.
40% of all world maritime trade is transported by oil tankers. In Brazil it is no different, most of its production is carried out by this means, because, as shown by 2002 production (85% of national production was extracted from the sea), the sea is the largest source of oil in our country. parents.
Mind Map: Oil
*To download the mind map in PDF, Click here!
When they reach the maritime terminals, pipelines are again used, where the oil is bombed to its final destination (for example, refineries).
However, although it is quite advantageous in an economic sense, the maritime transport of oil has given rise to accidents that spread large amounts of oil through the oceans, which ends up causing the death of many marine species, such as birds and fish, as well as plants. The impact generated on the aquatic ecosystem through major accidents, such as leaks from wells of oil, in supertankers and the rupture of pipelines, is something devastating and difficult to be calculated.
Some examples were the accident with the ship Torrey Canyon, in 1967, which caused the spill of 119,000t of crude oil, reaching the southwest coast of England and the north coast of France; the 1989 Exxon Valdez ship accident in Alaska (shown in the figure below); the accident with the ship Érika, in 1999, off the French coast; and the accident with the Prestige ship, in November 2002.
Thus, to prevent accidental and operational pollution caused by supertankers, the IMO (International Maritime Organization ─ UN specialized agency for maritime affairs) passed to carry out conventions such as the International Convention for the Prevention of Oil Pollution (OILPOL, later MARPOL) to generate actions and regulations relating to this type of transport.
An example is the obligation of the double hull in oil tankers, as it reduces the probability of the transported cargo being spilled into the environment when accidents occur that cause damage to the ship's hull.
* Mind Map by Me. Diogo Lopes
By Jennifer Fogaça
Graduated in Chemistry
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/como-feito-transporte-petroleo.htm
