Midstream Operations Overview
نظرة عامة على عمليات النقل والتخزين
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- Available in-house
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- Formats
- In-house training0 sessions
- Duration
- 5 daysCertificate
Overview
The midstream sector connects upstream production with refineries, petrochemical plants, power stations and export markets. It includes gathering systems, gas processing, pipelines, storage, terminals, LNG facilities and marine transport, and it relies on long-term contracts, regulated tariffs and careful coordination between many companies. Midstream assets are capital intensive and long-lived, and their safe and reliable operation is essential to energy security. Professionals who understand how the whole midstream chain fits together are better placed to plan, operate and invest in these systems.
This course provides a broad and practical overview of midstream oil and gas operations. Participants learn how hydrocarbons move from the wellhead through gathering systems, gas processing and NGL fractionation, crude oil and product pipelines, storage and terminals, to export by tanker or LNG carrier. The course covers the main equipment and operating principles in each part of the chain, measurement and custody transfer, scheduling and logistics, and pipeline integrity and safety. It also explains midstream business models, tariffs, contracts and regulation, the role of control rooms and digital technology, and current trends such as energy transition and carbon capture.
Objectives
- Describe the midstream value chain from wellhead to export markets
- Explain gathering, gas processing and NGL fractionation operations
- Understand crude oil, product and gas pipeline systems and their operation
- Describe storage, terminals, LNG facilities and marine transport
- Apply measurement, custody transfer, scheduling and logistics principles
- Understand integrity, safety and control room operations in midstream assets
- Explain midstream business models, tariffs, contracts and current trends
Who should attend
Engineers, operations staff, commercial and planning personnel, finance professionals and managers new to or working across the midstream sector.
Training methodology
The course follows a hydrocarbon molecule along the midstream chain, using maps, process diagrams, facility photographs and real commercial examples at each stage. Participants trace flows from gathering to export, carry out simple calculations on pipeline capacity, storage and shipping, and review custody transfer and scheduling scenarios. Tariff and contract examples show how midstream businesses earn revenue and manage risk. Videos and case studies highlight major incidents and operational challenges. Group exercises link technical and commercial aspects, and each day ends with a short quiz and open discussion.
Programme outline
Day1The Midstream Value Chain
- Upstream, midstream and downstream sectors and the boundaries between them
- Hydrocarbon types: crude oil, natural gas, condensate, NGLs and refined products
- Major midstream assets and how they connect production with markets
- Energy markets, supply and demand and the role of midstream infrastructure
- Key midstream companies, national oil companies and the ownership structures used for major assets
- Health, safety, environmental and community expectations placed on modern midstream operators
- Practical exercise: mapping the midstream chain for a regional oil and gas system
Day2Gathering, Processing and NGLs
- Gathering systems, flowlines and field compression for oil and gas production
- Gas processing steps such as separation, sweetening, dehydration and hydrocarbon dew point control
- NGL recovery using refrigeration, turboexpanders and cryogenic processes in gas plants
- NGL fractionation into ethane, propane, butanes and natural gasoline for different markets
- Product specifications, quality control and the markets for NGL products
- Sulfur recovery, acid gas handling and the environmental aspects of gas processing
- Practical exercise: following a raw gas stream through processing to sales products
Day3Pipelines, Storage and Terminals
- Crude oil, refined product and natural gas pipeline systems and their main components
- Pump and compressor stations, pipeline hydraulics and the main limits on pipeline capacity
- Batching, scheduling and the movement of multiple products in one pipeline
- Storage tanks, underground storage and the role of storage in balancing supply
- Marine terminals, rail and truck loading and the logistics of product distribution
- Measurement and custody transfer at receipt and delivery points in the chain
- Practical exercise: estimating pipeline capacity and storage needs for a supply plan
Day4LNG, Shipping and Operations Control
- LNG liquefaction, storage, shipping and regasification and the LNG value chain
- Crude, product and LPG tankers, chartering and the basics of shipping logistics
- Control rooms, SCADA systems and the coordination of midstream operations
- Pipeline integrity management, inspection and the prevention of leaks and ruptures
- Emergency response and lessons from major midstream incidents around the world
- Digital technology, remote monitoring and data analytics in midstream assets
- Practical exercise: planning a cargo schedule that matches production and storage limits
Day5Commercial Aspects and Future Trends
- Midstream business models: fee-based, cost of service and merchant arrangements
- Tariffs, transportation agreements and capacity reservation contracts explained with practical examples
- Regulation of pipelines and the rules for third-party access to midstream infrastructure
- Project development, investment decisions and risk management for midstream assets
- Energy transition: hydrogen, carbon capture and the future role of midstream networks
- Group exercise: evaluating a new pipeline project from technical and commercial angles
- Final assessment and discussion of midstream challenges in participants' organisations
Dates and fees
There are no scheduled dates for this course at the moment. Request it as in-house training, or ask us about the next date.
Certificate
Every delegate who attends the full programme receives a Harfard Technology certificate of completion stating the course title, duration, dates and venue.
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