The transportation of petroleum is a part of midstream industry: actually it is the final step 
that crude oil and natural gas take before they are distributed to consumers. After petrole￾um has been extracted from the ground, it requires transportation and distribution 
to refineries and processing plants that convert oil or gas into usable components. After refining 
and upgrading, the usable petroleum products are then transported again to distribution loca￾tions worldwide. Thus, petroleum is to be transported both in its initial crude form and as a final 
product.
There are different methods of petroleum transportation, all of which are becoming in￾creasingly important. Advances in exploration and extraction techniques, like offshore drilling, 
means that petroleum can be located and recovered from increasingly remote locations across 
the globe. This fact makes transportation vital in the petroleum industry. The ways that petrole￾um can be transported worldwide in large quantities depends on its forms, distances to be covered, amount of petroleum products needed and the geographical destinations for each of the
applications, and each type of transportation has its own benefits and drawbacks.
Crude oil tankers - are large ships used to transport crude by water worldwide. Over￾seas transportation has primarily been conducted through the oceans using ships and barges
where it could be practically impossible to set up railway lines or pipeline networks and systems.
Marine vessels can vary in size and are used more for crude oil as they reduce the cost per bar￾rel of oil transport. Large crude oil tankers are generally utilized in international crude oil trade.
Rail Transport – Oil and gas can also be moved by long cargo trains equipped with spe￾cial tank cars, and rail transport is used most commonly in areas without pipelines. Although 
more cars are required to transport significant amounts of oil or gas, rail is a fairly cost effective 
method. Rail-road tank cars are often used to transport refined petroleum products to distribu￾tion locations.
Tank trucks - are also a type of oil transportation method used to carry small capacities 
of oil for short distances and rarely carry crude oil. Instead, trucks more commonly move refined 
petroleum, such as gasoline, to distribution locations or gas stations. However, trucks can oper￾ate more freely as they only require roadways to travel.
Pipelines - the most popular and reliable means of petroleum transport - are systems of 
large pipes, generally below ground, that serve the purpose of moving oil and natural gas within 
extensive distribution networks. They are usually in applications where there are long distances
to be covered, particularly from petroleum sources to processing facilities and refineries. Pipe￾lines may vary in diameter depending on their use and serve to deliver crude oil, natural 
gas and refined petroleum products from refining facilities to distribution centers and retail
points. There exist two major types of pipelines: crude oil pipelines and natural gas pipelines. 
Crude oil pipelines transport crude oil from oil fields to refineries where it undergoes distillation 
and other production processes; some liquids pipelines may also transport distilled petroleum 
products to distribution centers. Natural gas pipelines are used solely for the delivery of natural 
gas to processing plants, to its distribution points or directly to homes.
Depending on purpose pipelines can be classified into three categories:
• Gathering Lines: These lines are 10-30 centimeters in diameter, and work to transport natu￾ral gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids short distances. They exist mainly to gather petroleum
from wells on the fields and move it for processing.
• Transmission/Trunk Pipelines: These can range from 10 centimeters in diameter to over 
a meter. They carry crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and refined products long dis￾tances, including over international boundaries.
• Distribution Pipelines: These range in diameter 2-15 centimeters and are used to distribute 
mainly natural gas to homes and businesses.
Transportation therefore is vital to ensuring the reliable and affordable flow of petroleum 
we all count on to fuel our cars, heat our homes and improve the quality of our lives. While there 
are various transportation options for petroleum, the decision of which method to use usually 
comes down to cost and location