The oil and gas industry consists of several types of plants that are categorized into upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. Each sector includes specific facilities for extraction, processing, transportation, and refining.
1. Upstream (Exploration & Production)
These plants are involved in exploring and extracting crude oil and natural gas from reservoirs.
Key upstream plants:
- Drilling Rigs – For offshore and onshore drilling
- Production Platforms – Offshore facilities for oil and gas extraction
- Wellhead Facilities – Equipment for controlling and monitoring production
- Separation Units – To separate oil, gas, and water at production sites
- Gas Processing Units – For removing impurities from raw natural gas
2. Midstream (Transportation & Storage)
These facilities transport crude oil and natural gas from production sites to refineries and distribution networks.
Key midstream plants:
- LNG Terminals (Liquefied Natural Gas Plants) – For liquefying and exporting natural gas
- Compression & Pumping Stations – To transport oil and gas through pipelines
- Storage Facilities – Including crude oil tanks and underground gas storage
- Gas Processing & Fractionation Plants – For separating NGLs (natural gas liquids)
3. Downstream (Refining & Distribution)
These plants refine crude oil and process natural gas into usable products such as gasoline, diesel, and petrochemicals.
Key downstream plants:
- Oil Refineries – For processing crude oil into fuels and chemicals
- Gas Processing Plants – For purifying and distributing natural gas
- Petrochemical Plants – Producing plastics, fertilizers, and other chemicals
- LNG Regasification Plants – Converting LNG back to gas for distribution
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Distribution Terminals – For fuel storage and delivery