A station location-allocation optimization problem in star-star pipeline network layout

Abstract

The oil and gas field surface gathering pipeline network is an important hub for transporting oil and gas products outward, and its optimal design is crucial to reducing the construction cost of the pipeline system. Star-star topology is often applied to the layout of surface gathering pipeline networks in oil and gas fields. However, the optimization of star-star topology is often carried out under the constraint of the fixed station type, which may easily lead to a waste of station capacity and increase investment or make the optimization results meaningless. In this article, a mixed integer linear programming mathematical model for the overall optimization of star-star pipeline network layout considering the station location-allocation problem is constructed in discrete space with coupled station type constraints, and the branch-and-bound method is used to obtain the global optimal solution. Three cases verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the model and algorithm. The results show that the maximum avoided capacity waste is 20 × 10⁴ m³/d and the maximum investment can be reduced by 8961.6 × 10⁴ Yuan, which shows that the proposed model can effectively improve the economy and rationality of the pipeline system, and has important guiding significance for the construction of oil and gas fields.

Keywords:

• Facility location
• layout optimization
• MILP
• pipeline network
• star-star
• station type

Acknowledgements

This work was part of the program “Study on the optimization method and architecture of oil and gas pipeline network design in discrete space and network space,” funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, grant number 51704253. The authors are grateful to all study participants.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Data availability statement

All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the submitted article.