1. How long is the oil pipeline?

The company owns and operates an approximately 800km pipeline network in     the   country.

The pipeline length at various depots is as given:-

          PS 1 - PS 9 443KM

          PS 1- PS 10 450 KM

          PS 1- PS 12 2 KM

          PS 1 TO KOSF 3 KM

          PS 21 to PS 27 325.1 KM

          PS 21 to PS 26A 223.7KM

          PS 26A to PS 27 101. 4KM

          PS 26A to PS 28 121.3 KM

          STATION ALTITUDE

          PS 1, PS 12, PS 14 SEA LEVEL

          PS 9 JKIA DEPOT 1630 Metres

          PS 10 NAIROBI TERMINAL 1630 Metres

          PS 25 NAKURU DEPOT 1848 Metres

          PS 27 ELDORET DEPOT 2309 Metres

          PS 28 KISUMU DEPOT 1165 Metres

PS 26A is the bifurcation point where the line branches to kisumu and Eldoret . PS 26B is the transition point from 8" inch to 6" inch.

2. What is the size (diameter) of the pipeline?

The line diameter from Mombasa to Nairobi is 14 inch in diameter.The line from Nairobi (PS 21) to Sinendet (PS 26A) is 8 inch in diameter. The line from PS 26A to kisumu (PS 28) is 6 inch. The line from 26 A is 8 inch up to 26B (burnt forest) is reduced to 6 inch in diameter up to Eldoret.

The pipeline is made of ERW 5LX54 steel pipe with thickness telescoping from 0.281" inch to 0.250" between stations.    

3. What are the products transported by kpc

      •  Motor spirit premium ( ULG) - unleaded - spirit

      •  Motor spirit premium ( MSP) - leaded

      •  Motor spirit regular ( MSR)

      •  Automotive gas oil ( AGO) - low sulphur - distillate

      •  Automotive gad oil ( AGO) - high sulphur- distillate

      •  Illuminating kerosene ( IK) DPK- Distillate

      •  Aviation turbine oil ( Jet A-1 fuel) DPK- Distillate       

4. How are different oil products transported

Kpc operates a highly pressurized line from Mombasa to kisumu and eldoret. Products introduced at KOSF or KPRL via PS 1 pushes out equal volume at PS 10    and PS 9. The same applies for LINE II where the volume introduced at PS 21 pushes out equal volume at PS 25, 27 and 28.

Electrically driven multi stage centrifugal pumps are the prime movers.

The products are introduced in the line in batches of known volumes. The typical pumping sequence is as shown below

AGO- MSP- MSR- MSP-AGO- DPK-AGO

Jet A-1 is the heart cut of the DPK (Dual purpose kerosene), the buffer is received as illuminating kerosene (IK) in tanks at PS 10.

DPK batches are transported just the same way its done in line I. JET A-1 is always transported as the heart cut of a DPK batch.

5. How do we ensure the various different products are not contaminated?

Any imported product is sampled and tested at Intertek testing services. on independent laboratory before the product is allowed into the pipeline    installation.

Pipeline is compacted and operated at high pressure. High pressures ensures that product flows as solid and minimises interface growth. Product movement    is monitored on hourly basis. Density is used as parameter for determining the location of each product grade.

The interface Expected time of arrival (ETA) helps in proper interface monitoring.Interface monitoring is done at the interface monitoring area.

The movement of the interface is monitored in every station by the station controller who liaises with the controller at Nairobi control centre for line I    and Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret for line II.

Contaminated portion of the products in both critical and non critical interface is sloped into slop tanks. A critical interface of a spirit followed by a    distillate will have the front portion of the slop put in a designated spirit rich slop tank while the portion rich in distillate will be slopped in a    designated distillate rich slop tank.

Samples are taken from each tank, sent to Quality control laboratory for analysis and re- injection advice. The slop tank content awaits the next incoming batch where re injection is done.

6. Does KPC own products

No, kpc was established by the government with the corporate mandate of transporting, storing and distributing white oils in the country on behalf of the oil companies (shippers). The product transported belongs to shippers.

7. Does KPC Process processed and unprocessed petroleum products

Kpc only transports processed products. Unprocessed products (crude oil) is refined at the KPRL before being released for transportation.

8. How does KPC differentiate products for the different oil marketers?

Currently the sourcing of the product is done through the Open Tender system. The scheduling section daily updates the stock entitlement for each shipper per product grade in all stations and forwards it to all shippers before the shippers start loading.

9. Does kpc handle unleaded petrol?

Yes, KPC has dedicated tanks for unleaded premium. At Nairobi terminal, the company has a transfer line to shippers for unleaded premium custody transfer to shippers.

10. What is kpc's through put performance

The average Monthly through put for the entire system is as given below

Ex- mainline receipts 240,000,000 litres

Embakasi depot (JKIA) 45,000,000 litres

Deliveries to shippers 120,000,000 litres

Deliveries to WKPE 150,000,000 litres

Deliveries to PS 12 (MIA) 6,000,000 litres

Deliveries from Nakuru depot 14,000,000 litres

Deliveries from eldoret depot 65,000,000 litres

Deliveries from kisumu depot 60,000,000 litres

Of the deliveries from kisumu and eldoret, 75 % and 70% of the deliveries respectively are for export to neighbouring countries i.e. northern Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Southern Sudan and Eastern DRC .

11. How safe is the oil pipeline?

The health, safety and environment (HSE) section oversees compliance with the HSE requirements. The section ensures all staff working in the plant and equipment area strictly adheres to the petroleum standards.

The line is coated externally to protect it from external corrosion along the various soil profiles along the right of way. Cathodic protection system is     installed to improve the line corrosion minimisation.

Regular pipeline cleaning is done quarterly by pigging using a go devil which is pushed by the pressure of the product along the pipeline. This removes     all suspended particles adhering to the pipeline surface.

An intelligent pig is launched into the pipeline every five years. This is done to ascertain the pipeline integrity in terms of line thickness, dents, internal and external wave (thickness reductions) , etc.

Pipeline security is under security section. Regular aerial and ground patrols are done along the right of way to ensure no interruptions in the     company's operations.