Analysis of Pipeline Hydraulics and Throughput Optimisation for Crude Oil Export Lines in the Eastern Operational District of NNPC Pipeline and Products Marketing Company

The efficient operation of crude oil export pipelines is fundamental to Nigeria's petroleum export capacity, and hydraulic modelling of these systems provides the engineering basis for throughput optimisation and capacity debottlenecking. This study analyses the pipeline hydraulics and identifies throughput optimisation opportunities for crude oil export lines in the Eastern Operational District of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation's Pipeline and Products Marketing Company. Steady-state hydraulic simulation was performed using PIPESIM software for a 120-kilometre crude export line from production gathering stations to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State. Operating parameters including flow rates, line pressures at intermediate pump stations, crude oil viscosity as a function of temperature, and pipeline elevation profiles were incorporated into the model. Model calibration was achieved using historical operational data from 2020 to 2022, with a mean absolute pressure prediction error of 3.2 percent. Bottleneck analysis identified that intermediate pump station discharge pressures are currently limited by pipe wall thickness ratings in a 25-kilometre high-elevation segment, constraining maximum throughput to 82 percent of design capacity. Pump impeller upgrade options and drag reduction agent injection strategies are evaluated as low-capital throughput improvement measures. The study recommends drag reduction agent injection as the optimal near-term solution, offering a projected 17 percent throughput improvement at minimal capital expenditure. Keywords: pipeline hydraulics, throughput optimisation, crude oil export, NNPC PPMC, Rivers State.