Pipelines provide efficient, reliable, safe and cost-effective means of transporting petroleum products between distant locations. In Kenya, through Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), constructed pipelines deliver crude oil, natural gas, steam and petroleum products to domestic markets throughout the country. Apart from the domestic market, Kenya, the pipeline system serves the neighbouring countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Tanzania, Burundi and Southern Sudan.
The similarity of oil and natural gas pipelines lies within the boundaries of both being coated steel pipes positioned above or below ground levels. The singular underlying difference between the two is that oil transmission pipelines typically transport liquids at a pressure between 600 to 1000 pounds per square inch (psi), while natural gas transmission pipelines transport gas at higher pressures of 1000 psi or greater. Pipelines are therefore constantly exposed to extreme conditions and the risk for catastrophic failure is highly probable (Ballantyne, 2008).
Recent pipeline oil spills in Kibwezi (KM 256) and Konza (KM 400) have led the public to question the safety and reliability of the pipelines. The construction of Mombasa — Nairobi pipeline was begun in October 1976 and completed and commissioned in January 1978. Given that most of these pipelines have a design life of 40 years or less. A large portion of our infrastructure will need extensive repair or rehabilitation in the near future. For this reason, the need to carry out an evaluation of the integrity of the buried pipeline system and safety of the constructed pipelines is deemed paramount.
This study assesses the status of the Kenya pipeline (Line 1 Mombasa to Nairobi) with the aim of quantifying its anticipated hazards and evaluate their impacts in assessing the long term performance of the buried pipelines of the Mombasa- Nairobi Pipeline.
