Tag:man_made=pipeline

The pipeline key is used for major pipelines carrying liquids, gases or slurry. The pipeline may be above ground, under water or underground. Common types include gas, water, oil, slurry (mineral ore), sewage.

How to map

Draw the way of the pipeline and add man_made=pipeline. Post markers can be used to determine the location of the pipe. They often have other information too, like the diameter and the operator of the pipeline.

Tags used in combination

Tag	Value	Description	Recommendation
man_made=*	pipeline	It's a pipeline	mandatory
location=*		Pipeline's location. Combine with layer=* if applicable.	recommended
substance=*		The substance transported within the pipeline. If the medium is not known, do NOT specify this tag.	recommended
operator=*	<Company name>	Name of the company who is in charge of operating the pipeline	optional
usage=*	transmission distribution (see more below)	Closer classification of the network this pipeline belongs to.	optional
name=*		Official name of the pipeline	optional
ref=*		Use this tag to specify a short, unique identifier for the pipeline. This value is used to logically link pipelines and markers together. Usually, marker plates already contain such a unique identifier.	optional
diameter=*		The nominal diameter of the pipeline, in millimeters.	optional
pressure=*		The nominal pressure of the pipeline, in bar.	optional
capacity=*		The capacity of the pipeline. free text, only for information, since the unit commonly used usually depends on the medium. I.e., barrels/day, m³/h, l/s.	optional
flow_direction=*	forward/backward/both	Use both to indicate that the medium within the pipeline may flow in both directions (loop configuration). use forward if the flow is in the direction of the pipeline way, backward otherwise.	optional
count=*		By design, some media require a pair (or more) of parallel pipelines; i.e., forward and return flow for heat pipelines. This tag specifies the number of pipelines running in parallel. Use this tag only if all pipelines run in parallel and have the same properties, like e.g. diameter. Otherwise, draw a separate way for each pipeline.	optional
inspection_gauge=*	yes	if the pipeline features a sender or receiver for an inspection gauge, use this tag on the section of the pipeline way where the sender/receiver is located.	optional
place:origin=*		Specifies the place=* (town, city, ...) where the pipeline begins. If applicable, use the name as specified in the place=*'s name=* tag.	optional
place:destination=*		Specifies the place where the pipeline ends.	optional

Locations

Key	Value	Description
location	underground	For pipelines under ground, not visible on the surface.
	overground	For pipelines over ground, located close to the surface, not allowing a person or vehicle to pass underneath.
	overhead	For pipelines over ground, located at a height allowing persons or vehicles to pass underneath. use other tags like maxheight=* on the road underneath if applicable. Where the overhead pipeline might affect commercial shipping (crossing a navigational canal or river), consider the use of seamark:type=pipeline_overhead.
	underwater	For pipelines running below the surface of land-based bodies of water, like lakes or rivers. For pipelines at sea, use the Seamark tagging scheme.

Usage

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Rendering in openstreetmap-carto

Drawing	Description	Tags (Wiki pages)
	Overground pipeline	man_made=pipeline location=overground / overhead
	Overground gas pipeline	man_made=pipeline location=overground / overhead substance=gas
	Overground oil pipeline	man_made=pipeline location=overground / overhead substance=oil
	Overground water pipeline	man_made=pipeline location=overground / overhead substance=water

Pipelines at sea

Use the seamark tagging scheme for pipelines and installations at sea (over or under water), especially the CATPIP related ones. The transition between the OSM standard and the seamark schemes takes place where the pipeline enters / leaves the sea.

This is also applicable for pipeline installations on land, which may affect commercial shipping (i.e., pipelines over canals, etc.)

Related features

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the following tags can be used on nodes of the pipeline:

• pipeline=valve describes a valve (see below)
• pipeline=measurement describes a measuring device (measuring point)
• depth=* the vertical distance from the pipeline to the surface of the ground or sea, in meters.
• inlet=* defines how a fluid enters in a given pipeline.
• outlet=* defines how a pipeline ends and release its content into open air environment.

the following features shouldn't be used on nodes of the pipeline:

• marker=* since markers aren't properly part of the pipeline nor of its operational process. Furthermore position=* can give indication on how far the marker is from the pipeline. Then it's more accurate to place a separate node that isn't part of the pipeline.

Examples

Photo	Tags	Note
	man_made=pipeline substance=gas name=West 4 E1-VL Sektion 2 ref=4W 020000 diameter=800 pressure=120 place:origin=Auersthal place:destination=Amstetten construction=yes usage=transmission	(temporary) open end of the W4 pipeline during construction. already underground, but not yet buried.
	man_made=pipeline substance=oil name=Trans Alaska Pipeline ref=TAP diameter=1220 pressure=81.4 usage=transmission location=overground	Trans Alaska Pipeline

See also

• seamark:type
• communication=line
• Proposed features/water network
• Proposed features/PipelineExtension
• Proposal
• Project/Oil and Gas Infrastructure
• Pipeline data sources
• tunnel=culvert