The enlightenment on the route design of oil and gas pipeline from the construction and operation experience

Water network, high groundwater level, underground obstacles crossing and planning area crossing are often encountered during oil and gas pipeline construction, leading to the insufficient burial depth of pipeline in water network and farmland ditch and route occupying along the pipeline, which bring potential safety hazards to the operation of pipeline. In this paper, the considerations to deal with such problems in the design stage were put forward from the aspects of regulation, construction and operation management. In addition, some suggestions were proposed. Some of the provisions in the Pipeline Protection Law of the People's Republic of China and other laws are not of strong operability, and the land compensation mechanism and related regulations shall be combined effectively. During route selection and optimization, material purchase and construction drawing design, designers should fully consider the requirements of the planning agencies and the requirements of construction and operation management so as to take the interests of all parties into consideration as a whole. Engineering Design Code of Oil Pipeline (GB 50253-2014) and Engineering Design Code of Gas Pipeline (GB 50251-2015) shall be added with the provisions of protection scope. Relevant government departments shall try to resolve the contradiction between pipeline construction and urban & rural development and carry out scientific planning to avoid repeated land transfer and other issues. Regional pipeline operators shall strengthen the link with the work of local governments and improve the reporting mechanism.