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WebWord Weblog Posting Posting Date: September 09, 2003 WebWord Comment -- Today I was talking with a guy who works for an oil company. The business he works for does something like $200 million of business per day. (Holy holy!) He was telling me about the logistics. For example, super tankers draft at about 30-35 meters. However, the Suez only allows drafts of about 17 meters. So, when supertankers reach the canal, they "unload" into holding tanks which then pump the oil across Egypt. The ligthened tankers (which fall within the 17 meter limit) can make it through the canal to pick up the oil at the other end. He also told me a little bit about how the pipelines work. For example, to ensure that oil can be transported by pipeline but not mix (very important), high pressure is required to keep the oil product moving at a high speed. Different oils have different densities, and therefore high speeds are needed to maintain product separation. If the pressure drops, mixing occurs and causes big problems. Another example of a logistical issue is that tankers must be fueled in a specific way or they will drift, break, lean, etc. You must fill up the compartments in an certain order to balance out the weight as it fills. Complex yet interesting, just like usability.
Reader Comments...
Logistics ARE fascinating. The company I work for (Cargill) has extensive expertise in logistics since many of our traditional businesses involve moving and processing bulk commodities (grain, salt, steel, etc.) around the globe. Our experience with logistics has lead to some significant business changes. For example, the logistics of moving grain is what got us into the Salt business - it was a backhaul good on barges taking grain from Minnesota down the Mississippi river. That business is now one of the world's largest salt companies. We have an Ocean Transportation business that has done some pretty innovative things with logistics. Did you ever consider that your orange juice might have traveled the world in a ship custom-made for hauling orange juice concentrate in huge bulk stainless steel tanks? Check out page 10 of this brochure (PDF) for a short story around that innovation. I've seen video of the process for loading and unloading juice from these vessels and it's amazing. Cool info on the pipelines. I've always wondered how they managed various products through one pipeline. Now I know. :) Posted by: Lyle, Lyle, Croc O' Lyle on September 10, 2003 12:46 AM
We need to consider the usability of planet earth. It won't be nearly as usable once we convert big nations like China to our profligate petroleum consumption. Posted by: Ralph on September 10, 2003 07:18 AM
My company doesn't really make anything (product-wise) per se, but there are a huge amount of logistics involved for the Catastrophic Teams that go out when a hurricane blows through, or other large disaster. Getting there quickly, with all the right equipment, printed checks, locations of policy holders, etc. It's interesting to look at the processes involved with the logistics and see where the bottlenecks are, and how you might try to improve it. It's not my area, but it would be interesting to try and make the whole process more, well, usable. :) Posted by: Matthew Oliphant (formerly fajalar) on September 10, 2003 08:54 AM
Ralph, How would you measure the "usability" of planet Earth? And what effect exactly does petroleum use have on it? I assume you're mostly talking about petroleum use in creating energy (not lubricants or plastics). Is using coal better? Is nuclear power better? Maybe wood-fired steam? Mule-based energy? How does leaving fossil fuels in the ground make our planet more "usable?" If you're going to drag "usability" into a political debate then you should be prepared to explain your views. Posted by: Lyle, Lyle, Croc O' Lyle on September 10, 2003 01:11 PM
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