Pumping stations
Driving it home
NWO’s pipeline is driven by a total of three pumping stations to ensure timely and round the clock delivery of crude oil to Lingen, Gelsenkirchen and Wesseling near Cologne. For safety the oil is subjected to a rigorously-monitored increase in pressure at these stations so that it gains the necessary momentum to reach its destination.
The first of the pumping stations, known as the head and main pumping station, is located at the beginning of the long-range pipeline, in Wilhelmshaven. The other two stations taking care of the pressure increases are positioned in Ostenwalde and Ochtrup. Via the pumping station connected to the tank in Ochtrup, stored crude oil can be fed into the NWO’s long-range pipeline and pumped further along towards either Gelsenkirchen or Wesseling.
Thanks to its technologically advanced performance rates coupled with the comprehensiveness of its scheduling and pump programming arrangements, an annual quantity of 16.3 million tonnes can pass through the NWO pipeline and another 8 million tons through the NDO pipeline. The operating pressure set at a maximum of 65 bar for crude oil in these quantities is for safety reasons continually monitored shortly after the pumping station to check it has remained constant.
Stephan Taddiken
Technical Director
»In the increasingly demanding
technical world we reach with
modern maintenance strategies
required safety, availability and
quality levels.«