Method for temporarily storing fluids

A method of temporarily storing a producer unit effluent, during the transmission of the effluent from the producer unit to a user unit at a predetermined user unit flow rate, in which excess producer unit effluent is passed to a storage unit through a single bidirectional flow line and make-up producer unit effluent is passed from the storage unit through the bidirectional flow line to the user unit. The feed rate to the user unit is controlled to maintain a predetermined feed rate and producer unit effluent, from the producer unit to the storage unit and from the storage unit to the user unit through the bidirectional flow line, is controlled by measuring the back pressure built up in the bidirectional flow line or the flow line from the producer unit to the user unit and permitting flow from the bidirectional flow line to the storage unit and from the storage unit to the bidirectional flow line, as the case may be, in accordance with the measured pressure. In a further embodiment, excess producer unit effluent from the producer unit to the storage unit is cooled by passing the same through a heat adsorbent material and make-up producer unit effluent from the storage unit to the user unit is heated by passing the same through the heat adsorbent material. A single bidirectional flow line may also be used in the latter embodiment and the adsorbent material can be disposed in a bidirectional line or a container mounted in a bidirectional flow line.