Mixed Integer Linear Programming Formulation for Aiding Planning Activities in a Complex Pipeline Network

This paper presents an optimization model to reduce the gap between planning and scheduling activities in pipeline networks for supply of petroleum derivatives, so as to effectively operate the plans developed at higher decision levels. Most of the information taken in the petroleum supply chain is unidirectional, from the strategic level passing through the tactical level and finally reaching the operational level. However, unviable schedules are often obtained from an operational standpoint, since operational criteria are not considered when decisions are made at the strategic and tactical levels. In particular, in the supply chain of refined petroleum products, the production campaigns of the refineries are defined for different regions based on the consumer market and no operational conditions related to distribution are accounted at this stage. This fact that may lead to operational infeasibilities. To overcome this type of problem the present paper proposes a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) approach to validate the refineries' production plans where operational conditions are accounted for, and as a consequence, a decrease in the existent gap between the scheduled and executed operations is obtained. The proposed methodology is applied to a real world case study of a Brazilian Oil company.