Western Railroad Discussion > More oil on the ole' DRGW

Link
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58455493-78/oil-utah-coal-loading.html.csp

Ramping up to be big business in the Helper area....... They have supposedly also hit some oil just outside Helper, I believe up 9 mile canyon and another location....



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/14 16:01 by jc76.

Gee what a surprise, as much hydrocarbon as there is in the ground around there oil had to
be near. There's already wells in the area, couple up behind our famous Vanderbilt tender.

Out

Uh, don’t hold your breath on this one. There have been studies made regarding a rail line into the Uintah Basin for as long as I have lived in the Basin, and that is 40 years. Studies only; no actual construction. This plan will require a brand new railroad of 100 miles through very difficult terrain. The article didn’t mention that in order to keep the grades to a max of 2.4%, an 8 ½ mile long tunnel will be required. The government types promoting this haven’t yet figured out who is going to pay for this very expensive railroad. I doubt that the Union Pacific, BNSF or Utah Ry. would be interested in financing it. And if the cost was not enough to stop it, the environmental types would likely go berserk.

Dick
Roosevelt, Utah

With all the shale in Utah, this is just the beginning.

I doubt the rail line will get built, but I thought the expansion of the oil terminal s was the good news.....

Posted from Android

Relax, empties uphill loads downhill.

Posted from Android

Noticeably more oil traffic coming over from Roper to Hinkle. I believe that this oil is going into Portland at the Cheveron terminal at Willbridge...

Posted from Android

Saw the article earlier, can see the pipeline getting built but doubt a rail line will be. No matter what, there will be enviro issues/complaints to deal with which was part of the article about the current loading setup.

Nathan

atsf121 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Saw the article earlier, can see the pipeline
> getting built but doubt a rail line will be. No
> matter what, there will be enviro
> issues/complaints to deal with which was part of
> the article about the current loading setup.
>
> Nathan


There is already two proposed pipelines. The Uinta Express and another shorter pipe running to Green River for the new refinery and rail load-out being built. If the Uinta Express is built, I would guess that some oil traffic out of the Helper area would disappear.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/14 19:18 by jc76.

Regarding the Platte River Terminal they are in the process of building a large holding tank south of their rail yard as of September 2014 near Wellington, Utah.

Forwarding info-Expecting minimal emissions » Meanwhile, outside Wellington, a Fort Worth firm called Global One Transport began assembling long unit trains early this year bound for the massive crude oil storage hub in Cushing, Okla.

Global One can load 15,000 barrels a day and plans to expand to 40,000 barrels. The county has authorized it to off-load 105 trucks a week, but the company has applied to ramp that up to 700 trucks.

It submitted a notice of intent to DAQ last year, but the agency put the application on hold until the company submits additional information, Black said.

Ordinarily, an operation seeking to add equipment that would increase emissions is required to obtain an approval order first. But officials say the loading facilities may operate while their permits are pending because their emissions will likely be insignificant.

DAQ officials have inspected the Price River Terminal and are satisfied it does not pose an undue threat to air quality.

"They are using the same equipment as the trucks filling gas station tanks. Potential emissions are routed though a control device," Black said.

"They are capturing emissions as effectively as they would be required under a permit."

Could they build a line out following hwy 40 connecting the internal rail line from desert power generating plant and its coal fields to the craig branch. Following hwy 40 our of dinosaur to craig hwy ranges from 5900 to 6800 ft. Largest grade is around elk springs about 900ft in 9.5 miles. I am sure all avenues have been studied. It would be nice if this was a viable option would give those coal fields that supply desert power possible other options and get some oil out while making the craig branch even more important. Always fun to imagine the possibilities.

They are also supposedly loading oil from the wells near Green River also. I believe this is currently a small field it will be interesting to see what they find if they frac it.....

Posted from Android

Notch8 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Could they build a line out following hwy 40
> connecting the internal rail line from desert
> power generating plant and its coal fields to the
> craig branch. Following hwy 40 our of dinosaur to
> craig hwy ranges from 5900 to 6800 ft. Largest
> grade is around elk springs about 900ft in 9.5
> miles. I am sure all avenues have been studied.
> It would be nice if this was a viable option would
> give those coal fields that supply desert power
> possible other options and get some oil out while
> making the craig branch even more important.
> Always fun to imagine the possibilities.

What became of the line out of Rifle, CO, that was being planned some 10-15 years ago? IIRC it was headed to Vernal, UT.

Rob

Rob, there have been many suggestions, proposals and plans to build a rail line into the Uintah Basin. I remember many of them from my 40 years living here and working in oil and gas production. They get a few newspaper articles and then you never hear from them again. I think the route you mentioned went up Rifle Creek from Rifle, CO then down Piceance Creek to the White River, then downstream, across the Green River and then across the Basin, over Strawberry Summit and eventually to Provo, Utah. It was a Colorado Midland proposal, I think. All of the proposals face the same problems. First off is the enormous cost. Any route into the basin will require a long line; about 125 or more miles from the end of the UP Craig branch in Colorado. Around 100 miles from a connection with the ex. D&RGW line somewhere around Helper or Soldier Summit. Extremly rough terrain on the last route, thus an 8 1/2 mile tunnel; think Moffat Tunnel on steroids. Traffic pretty much limited to natural resources; crude oil, LPG, Gilsonite out, and much less inbound. Inbound loads could be a little gasoline and diesel for local consumption, pipe, sand and drilling mud. All of this activity is dependent on the ups and downs of the petroleum industry. Plus, all of the environmental, legal and political obstacles that are sure to come up.

Dick
Roosevelt, Utah

2ebright Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rob, there have been many suggestions, proposals
> and plans to build a rail line into the Uintah
> Basin. I remember many of them from my 40 years
> living here and working in oil and gas production.
> They get a few newspaper articles and then you
> never hear from them again. I think the route you
> mentioned went up Rifle Creek from Rifle, CO then
> down Piceance Creek to the White River, then
> downstream, across the Green River and then across
> the Basin, over Strawberry Summit and eventually
> to Provo, Utah. It was a Colorado Midland
> proposal, I think. All of the proposals face the
> same problems. First off is the enormous cost. Any



I would imagine the Uinta Express pipeline is what will most likely get built. Unfortunately this will likely pull a lot of oil off the Rio Grande. By the time the pipe is built however there is likely to be more oil flowing from the new area near Helper, Green River and from the Uintah Basin itself. It will be interesting to see how it all plays. I have heard rumors some oil is coming to Wellington from as far away as the Durango area.....



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/14 12:53 by jc76.

Wouldn't be too surprised, there's a sizable field in the Farmington area though
drilling has been down in the last 12 months because of refining capacity, transport
and the softening WTI market.

Out

2ebright Wrote: Any
> route into the basin will require a long line;
> about 125 or more miles from the end of the UP
> Craig branch in Colorado. Around 100 miles from a
> connection with the ex. D&RGW line somewhere
> around Helper or Soldier Summit. Extremly rough
> terrain

It still seems to me that the best option would be to extend David Moffat's original plans. Funny that I can't recall ever seeing a proposed route for the D, NW, & P (D&SL)!

Rob

Colorado Historical Society has maps and grade charts of the proposed Moffat. There were a couple differant routes into the Uintah Basin . I believe the cheapest was the Cross Mountain Survey with a 2% ruling grade. Remember this is a Utah project, and the Moffat would bring more jobs to Colorado in construction and it has no BNSF connection....

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/14 16:28 by jc76.

Despite current traffic levels on the Craig, UP doesn't seem to be in any hurry
to unload it. Might have some (groan) strategic thinking going on.

Out

What's going on with the proposed refinery/oil by rail loading facility in Green River?? I thought construction was supposed have started in the summer.


Allen