The pipeline to Grangemouth must have been bidirectional as it is assumed to have supplied Mountblow. A major part of it's work was/is pumping crude oil through to the refinery in Grangemouth.
I done some work there back in '03, part of that was a wee dig up the hill side looking for the pipe that goes to Grangemouth - in order to check its condition, a pilot of a schedule to check it physically across its route ........... two weeks later and it wasn't found. Seems BP's plans aren't what they thought they were.
There was a major refurb of the four tanks on the landward side of the terminal in anticipation of North Sea production falling. We used to joke about the one whose cladding had been blown off to reveal its wartime camouflage [painted on by the Yanks apparently] and laughed how a terrorist would miss that one because it was invisible.
Bidirectional flow on a pipeline such as this seems fraught with technical and logistical problems.
Although referred to as a pipeline, which might be notionally suggestive of a single pipe running along its length, as it would be carrying different product to and from the refinery, might there be two actual pipes, each serving in the appropriate direction?
I have no detailed knowledge of this installation, nor any idea for the moment where to dig some up with reasonable ease.
I would be surprised if itwas just one pipe given the work it has been expected to do but I do not know for sure and the answer may well still be classified.
I don't know how they deal with multiple product and the need to transport different materials in both directions, but since a refinery is a continuous process that doesn't like to stop, I imagine simultaneous flow of different materials in both directions at once is almost a necessity, as you can't tell a tanker to hold on for a few day while they finish processing a batch. and the tank farm can only hold so much.
Crude oil arriving for refining can be like black tar, and heavy fuel oil not much better (if it's still used) while diesel/kerosene and petrol aren't going to be popular if mixed in for customers that don't want them. Presumably there will still be the byproducts like tar and pitch to be shifted as well.
On the other hand, we're forgetting that there are docks at the refinery - what is loaded and unloaded there?
Perhaps one end is used for receipt of crude oil, while the other is used for despatching refined product, and there is only the need to have multiple flows around the terminals, so they have the required material being pumped in to, or out of, their tank farms?
All that expensive education must have been worth something then... even if it didn't help be find the terminal in the Gaz - wonder what I did wrong (ah! just thick).
Crude (20 inch) and product (12 inch) nicely separated.
I guess "Innovene operates a 12-inch multiproduct pipeline" means that there might be multiple feeds running within the 12-inch outer, unless they run batches to allow the pipeline to clear!
58 miles of 12-inch pipe would hold rather a lot of material, and I don't think they're likely to just open the tap and let it run until it's empty before they shove something different down it (just kidding by the way, just in case ).
I'll see you in hell.........some other time! Rumour
Posts: 19
There is a junction in the pipe on the banks of Loch Lomond where the pipe for Mountblow branches off. The disused one can be seen above ground at one point close to the junction. If any one wants to see it then let me know and i can give you better directions.
I'll see you in hell.........some other time! Rumour
Posts: 19
Handy page!! The junction compound is in the walled off section (:gma-point lat=56.0157373 lon=-4.6112376 (:mlat:56.0157373(:mlon:-4.6112376(:mngr6:NS373833 (:gma-map
The pipe is located here (:gma-point lat=56.0153595 lon=-4.6094728 (:mlat:56.0153595(:mlon:-4.6094728(:mngr6:NS374833 (:gma-map
To avoid suffering from an overload of happiness, these is a checkbox that allows one to Disable Smiles? on the Post Options just under the message box - it can be useful on the odd occasion
Bit unfortunate about the coincidence of character combinations sometimes, especially if you like to stuff stuff inside brackets.
I've added the markers quickly, as I'm partway through adding some more detailed info and revamping the page (it's not done yet, so no pointing out errors).
To avoid suffering from an overload of happiness, these is a checkbox that allows one to Disable Smiles? on the Post Options just under the message box - it can be useful on the odd occasion
Bit unfortunate about the coincidence of character combinations sometimes, especially if you like to stuff stuff inside brackets.
This photo [on the Garelochead- Arrochar road] was taken just to the south of the main gate of the Finnart terminal - the gatehouse of which tis on the left. The gatehouse to the landward tank farm is on the right. Behind the dyke - on the right - is a deep natural and ragged cutting which a fast flowing burn flows through down to Loch Long, over the burn at this point the two pipelines cross.
Nice pic catching the two lodges together, I think it will end up on the page.
I think it's more or less up to date with the info we have.
I was trying to add some more info I managed to dig up about the two houses, but when I started testing it, it started to fall apart in the detail, so I eventually decided to cut my losses and abandon it.
I still need to work in a mention of a fountain at the front of the now derelict Finnart House, which I just spotted in the detail of an old map dating from within a few years of the build
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