Western Railroad Discussion > Crude oil derailment and fire in North Dakota

Fox News just reporting a crude oil train derailment at Heimdal, North Dakota. 5 cars derailed and on fire, no injuries.

Dick



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/15 09:19 by 2ebright.

http://www.valleynewslive.com/home/headlines/North-Dakota-Town-Evacuated-After-Train-Derailment-302754661.html

by the distance of the smoke and fire, it looks like more than 5 cars are involved or perhaps oil spread as the train was moving till it stopped ...

Posted from Android

This would be on the KO Subdivision, southeast of Minot.

Picture looks like the field next to the track has become a lake of fire.

Bloomberg reports "six or seven cars" derailed, and are the CPC-1232 model

willobi Wrote:
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> Picture looks like the field next to the track has
> become a lake of fire.

One of the many problems in the Lac Megantic runaway was the creation of a "pool of fire" as oil drained from many punctured cars and into a pool.  Once the pool was heated by the fire, it became fuel.

Presume this is Bakken crude, or is it from somewhere else?

Did a Google search and there's some big info on Bakken crude, not sure where it all came from.

January article from Bloomberg:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-01-02/bakken-crude-more-dangerous-to-ship-than-other-oil-u-s-

Very likely Bakken crude from North Dakota, but could also possibly be Bakken from Canada.

Dick

MRL shows detours of Q, S and V trains eastbound through Sandpoint for the next several days. No westbound detours planned.

All subject to change.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

Associated Press reports at 12N central time that 10 cars have derailed.  The locomotives and other tank cars have been pulled clear of the scene.  (Does this train have a DPU, or did they use another train's power, or were these the last ten cars of the train?)

http://news.yahoo.com/oil-train-derailment-prompts-evacuation-160018762.html

MRL has Westbound detours planned now, starting Thursday-Saturday H, V, G normal hi line trains detoured through Glendive, Forsyth Sub.

In other environmental news, North Dakota is investigating a pipeline leak this past weekend which may have put three million gallons of salty brine solution into a freshwater lake. The brine is a byproduct of the frac process

Significant pipeline spill

 

The article states that 63,000 gallons (1145 bbls) of brine were spilled.    3 MM gallons you referenced was from a spill in January.    The brine from the spill in not water associated with fracking.   Brine is water with high chloride concentrations which is produced with the oil from the Bakken.   Operators have underground gathering systems / pipelines to take the produced water (brine) from the oil wells directly to a disposal well or wells.   It is unfortunate that the pipe broke and saltwater spilled. 

The 7pm CT report scales the number of cars on fire back to six. Billowing smoke and fire, no injuries reported.  One deputy was getting ready for work, heard the boom, and figured it must be an oil train...

Congress is interested.

Bismarck newspaper:  Star Tribune

midwest Wrote:
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> http://www.valleynewslive.com/home/headlines/North
> -Dakota-Town-Evacuated-After-Train-Derailment-3027
> 54661.html

When doing a report on the derailment and wreck, the local reporter referred to the crude trains as "Bakken Bombs."

Valley News Live is reporting that a broken wheel may have been the cause of the derailment.  A photo is posted.

http://www.valleynewslive.com/home/headlines/Is-a-broken-tanker-car-wheel-to-blame-for-Heimdal-derailment-302864911.html

nkp759 Wrote:
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> Valley News Live is reporting that a broken wheel
> may have been the cause of the derailment.  A
> photo is posted.
>
> http://www.valleynewslive.com/home/headlines/Is-a-
> broken-tanker-car-wheel-to-blame-for-Heimdal-derai
> lment-302864911.html

I believe the new rules require more frequent, and much more thorough wheel inspections for haz-mat trains, The BNSF Galena derailment and fire was also linked to a broken wheel

New federal rules

National News has a report that the 'Crude' Oil had most of the volatile gasses removed before shipment. Supposedly per a new requirement. Still looking for the printed version of that news report.

TCnR Wrote:
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> National News has a report that the 'Crude' Oil
> had most of the volatile gasses removed before
> shipment. Supposedly per a new requirement. Still
> looking for the printed version of that news
> report.

The new federal (and state) rules require that volatility testing and labeling has to be done before train loading or delivery to a pipeline operator. And, they specify maximum tolerances for various gasses etc in the crude.