Testing and Metering: In some applications, headers have testing and metering valves that direct fluids into testing vessels.In addition, the headers serve as a means of distributing fluids that mitigate corrosion and hydrate formation to various sections of the piping system. This holds especially true in oil fields where the wells are widely distributed and some distance away from the processing facility. As a result, an exploration company can achieve significant savings on pipeline infrastructure. Production and Distribution: In the oil and gas industry, headers serve to commingle flow from different wellheads into a single production pipe.Typically, the design of flow systems with headers is due to a variety of reasons. On the other hand, it can also distribute flow to many smaller pipes (distributing header). Pipeline Header PurposeĪ pipeline header refers to a large pipe that is set up to aggregate flow from smaller pipes (collecting header).
In this article, you will learn the purpose of a pipeline header, important factors in its design, and calculation methodology. A pipeline header connects flowlines from several different sources into a single gathering line.