world's first major lpg
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7/29/2019 World's First Major LPG
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Project Award
April 1960
Project Completion
November 1960
Willbros provided engineering services, ROW acquisition,material procurement, and construction for the Mid-America Pipelinethe first major common-carrier system
devoted exclusively to LPG. The 3,540-km (2,200-mile) ANSI 900system of 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-inch pipeline was constructed in the early1960s. The system included six delivery terminals, two operatingterminals with washed cavern storage, aboveground storage, 14 pumpstations, and communication systems.
The Mid-America Pipeline extends from the Permian basin in New
Mexico to Conway, Kansas, where it branches to Pine Bend,Minnesota (near Minneapolis), and to Janesville, Wisconsin. Thesystem was developed to meet the increased demand for propane inthe upper midwest, and its most important advantage is thecontinuous supply of products.
When LPG is one of the products handled by a pipeline, large-volume, low-cost pressure storage at critical points is essential. Thistype of storage can be provided for the least cost in caverns dissolvedout of naturally occurring salt deposits. Mid-America uses suchstorage at Hobbs terminal where the gathering system ends and the
Worlds First Major LPG Pipeline SystemMid-America Pipeline Company
United States
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MINNESOTA
IOWA
NEBRASKA
KANSAS
OKLAHOMA
TEXAS
NEWMEXICO
MISSOURI
ILLINOIS
WISCONSIN
Sanborn
Iowa City
Conway
WellsfordMcPherson
Eskridge
KearneyLinn
Pine Bend
Moberly
Greenwood
Hobbs
Beaver
Pampa
Tulia
Levelland
Janesville
LPG Pipeline
Terminal Stations
Pump Stations
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mainline begins and at the McPherson terminal where the mainlinebranches and ties into other facilities. Approximately 150 Mbbl ofstorage is desirable at each location.
Aqua-type underground storage is also utilized, consisting of acavern that is completely full of liquid and under pressure at all times.Water fills any void not occupied by product. Three undergroundcaverns of 27-Mbbl each were developed and tied into a centrallylocated manifold. The manifold makes it possible to operate thecaverns in much the same way as an aboveground tankage. Productdewatering facilities included water knockout and thermalregenerative activated aluminum dehydration to -40F dewpoint. A150-hp water-injection pump is used for product recovery. Differentproducts can be stored in each cavern and can be recoveredsimultaneously. Water-metering facilities can continuously enlargeexisting storage and develop additional caverns.
Six 1.5-Mbbl aboveground tanks are used for propane service. Theyare ASME code stamped for 250 psi working pressure, 100% x-rayed,
and fully stress-relieved. Suction and fill valves are motor operated. Atop equalizer system connects the vapor space of all tanks, allowingfree breathing of different temperatures between tankstherebyincreasing filling and emptying rates. Two four-port safety relief valvemanifolds protect each tank.
Seven distribution terminals are included in the system. Facilitiesincluded aboveground receiving storage and truck and rail loadingsystems for distribution. Odorant injection was provided for all truckand rail loading systems. A general design and layout was selected tosimplify operations and maintenance, and was modified only to satisfylocal conditions.