Western Railroad Discussion > bakken crude dangerous

http://www.trust.org/item/20140102180010-g5l4s

interesting article on how dangerous bakken crude is

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/the-hazardous-history-of-the-oil-that-levelled-lac-megantic/article15733700/?page=all

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

Perhaps most of us are thinking Exxon Valdez kinda crude.

OK, so this shale oil is dangerous,but are not the incidents listed the result of train wrecks?
I remember when gasoline was carried on trains and it may still be somewhere.
While I don't like dangerous cargo on the rails of my neighborhood, I definitely get VERY nervous driving near gasoline tank trucks sharing the roads with me.
After pipelines, rail is the safest way to ship HazMat.
TAH

Bakken crude is more dangerous. Dangerous to the politicians and eco whackos that want to shut down fossil fuel production in the continental US. Bakken crude is proof the country can become energy self sufficient...

Someone may wish to find out if Bakken crude has any additives to make it flow easier. Such things do make crude go "boom" in the night.

Would I rather have a full tank of gas or an on time Empire Builder...? I think I will take the full gas tank...

Some of what is starting to appear in the oil industry magazines is commentary about high levels of hydrogen sulfide - H2S. It's a highly toxic gas, in the right concentrations is highly explosive (think hydrogen), and is normally found at varying levels in all crude oil. What is becoming disturbing about Bakken crude is increasing public speculation by oil industry professionals that this crude tends to outgas after it's pumped. So, you may fill tank cars at atmospheric, but they outgas in transit and pressurize a car that wasn't loaded with the intention of being pressurized. And it's pressurized with an explosive mixture.

Now, mind you, this is all theory read in the trade pulps and I'm neither familiar with the details, nor are the articles I've read. What is on record is Enbridge specifically embargoed Bakken crude from their pipeline network unless it tested below a certain level of H2S. Pipelines can explode just like tank cars.

The finger appears to be pointing a independent producers in the Bakken that aren't properly monitoring what they're pumping and are going to get caught and sued for improper operating practice if someone proves it.

SRK


90mac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK, so this shale oil is dangerous,but are not the
> incidents listed the result of train wrecks?
> I remember when gasoline was carried on trains and
> it may still be somewhere.
> While I don't like dangerous cargo on the rails of
> my neighborhood, I definitely get VERY nervous
> driving near gasoline tank trucks sharing the
> roads with me.
> After pipelines, rail is the safest way to ship
> HazMat.
> TAH

Steve Krause
Chillicothe, IL