Glossary

Battery
Small field plants which remove natural gas, NGLs, water and sand from crude oil delivered by gathering systems from individual wells.

Bitumen
Petroleum that exists in the semi-solid or solid phase in natural deposits; a thick, sticky form of crude that must be heated or diluted before it will flow into a well or through a pipeline. Bitumen generally has an API gravity of less than 10°.

Burst strength
Hydraulic pressure required to burst a pipe or vessel of given thickness. Generally 2.5 to 4.0 times working pressure.

Compressor
A machine used to boost natural gas pressure to move it through pipelines or other facilities. A compressor station is a permanent facility housing one or more compressors.

Crude oil
A naturally occurring liquid mixture of hydrocarbons; liquid petroleum. The liquid hydrocarbons may be mixed with natural gas, carbon dioxide, saltwater, sulphur compounds and sand. Most of these substances are separated from the liquid hydrocarbons at processing facilities near the producing field.

Delivery stations
Facilities where natural gas or crude oil are transferred from one party to another.

Fabricated assemblies
Pipeline components such as valves, pumps and pipe fittings.

Heavy oil
Oil having an API gravity less than 22.3º. Includes some oil that will flow, however slowly, but most heavy oil requires heat or dilution to flow to a well or through a pipeline.

Hydrocarbons
A large class of liquid, solid or gaseous organic compounds, consisting of only carbon and hydrogen, which are the basis of almost all petroleum products.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
Supercooled natural gas that is maintained as a liquid at or below -160°C; LNG occupies 1/600th of its original volume and is therefore easier to transport if pipelines cannot be used.

Metering stations
Measure the quantity of natural gas or liquids flowing through a pipeline.

Natural gas
Gaseous petroleum consisting primarily of methane with lesser amounts of (in order of abundance) ethane, propane, butane and pentane, and heavier hydrocarbons as well as non-energy components such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and water.

Natural gas liquids
Liquids obtained during natural gas production and processing; they include ethane, propane butane and condensate.

Petroleum products
Petroleum products are the end result of the refining process. They include fuels such as gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel and heating oil; products such as solvents and lubricants; and raw materials for manufacturing petrochemicals.

Pipeline
All parts of the physical facility through which, crude oil, natural gas or other petroleum derivatives are moved in transportation, including pipe, valves, and other equipment attached to the pipe, compressor units, metering stations, regulator stations, delivery stations, holders, and fabricated assemblies.

Primary energy
Primary energy is energy that is produced first, versus secondary energy which is produced by consuming primary energy. Examples of primary energy include heat or motive power produced from the combustion of coal, crude oil and natural gas; and electricity produced from nuclear, wind or hydropower. Examples of secondary energy include thermal electricity and motive power from gasoline.

Regulator stations
Facilities along a pipeline where the flow rate can be adjusted.

Right-of-way
Either the right to pass over someone else’s property (plural: rights-of-way) or the actual property subject to a right-of-way (plural: right-of-ways).

Super tanker
An informal name for crude carriers with dead weight tonnage exceeding 250,000 tonnes.

Synthetic crude oil
A mixture of hydrocarbons, similar to crude oil, derived by upgrading bitumen from oilsands.

Trunk line
A major, long-distance pipeline, usually of large diameter.