Pipelines are the latest means of transportation. Crude oil or petroleum is transported to refineries and refined petroleum products are sent to consumer centres by this means of transportation. In addition, natural gas is also transported by pipelines. A high density of pipelines is found in Europe and middle – east countries. Pipelines are used extensively in transporting liquids and gases such as water, petroleum, and natural gas.
For they have uninterrupted flow, water supply through pipelines is familiar to all. Cooking gas or LPG is supplied through pipelines in many parts of the world. In New Zealand, milk is being supplied through pipelines from dairy farms to processing plants. A dense network of piplines is found between the production regions and the consumption regions of united States of America.
Among these, the most famous is the ‘Big Inch’ pipeline, which supplies oil obtained from the coastal wells of Gulf of Mexico to the north – eastern states. In Europe, western Asia, Russia and India, pipelines are used, to join the oil wells with the refineries and internal markets. The pipline from Turkmenistan, a country in central Asia, has been extended to Iran and some parts of China. After the completion of the proposed Iran – Pakistan – India oil and gas pipeline, it will be the world’s longest pipeline.
