Western Railroad Discussion > Tons of "petcoke" on today's H-LAUDEN -- any insights????

BNSF #6353 leads a southbound 2x1 H-LAUDEN manifest freight train round the curve and through the canyon cut between ~MP68-69 on the BNSF Front Range Subdivision during the early morning hours of 11/28/2021. Interestingly, ~70 % (34 total) of the cars that made up this short 48-car (<1-mile long) train were loaded petroleum coke (aka- "petcoke") GATX cars. Anyone have any idea where this "petcoke" comes from, where it is going, and what it is used for mainly?  

Power:
BNSF #6353 (GE ES44AC)
BNSF #1058 (GE C44-9W in H1 paint scheme)
BNSF #8017 (GE ES44C4)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/21 19:56 by jmulhol2.

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Doesn't come from Billings?

WAF Wrote:
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> Doesn't come from Billings?

Correct

Posted from Android

The "petcoke" is loaded out at the refinery on the east of Billings just west of the 19-90 bridge  that crosses the Yellowstone. I only see GATX hoppers situated about the refinery and in the loadout area.

Used in making portland cement, and in steel mills, among other things. 

pdt Wrote:
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> Used in making portland cement, and in steel
> mills, among other things. 

Not used in steel mills because Petcoke has too many metal impurities in it. Cement plants, and power plants equipped with good scrubbers burn it for heat. It has a lot of sulfur and mercury in it. A lot of it is exported to countries with lax environmental regulations. 

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> pdt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Used in making portland cement, and in steel
> > mills, among other things. 
>
> Not used in steel mills because Petcoke has too
> many metal impurities in it. Cement plants, and
> power plants equipped with good scrubbers burn it
> for heat. It has a lot of sulfur and mercury in
> it. A lot of it is exported to countries with lax
> environmental regulations. 

While I have no direct knowledge of whether or not any of the forms of petroleum coke today are used by steel mills, I know for a fact it was used at Kaiser Steel in Fontana, CA.

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While I have no direct knowledge of whether or not
> any of the forms of petroleum coke today are used
> by steel mills, I know for a fact it was used at
> Kaiser Steel in Fontana, CA.

Then why did they receive all that coal hauled in by UP/DRGW from Sunnyside Mine. And by ATSF from the York Canyon Mine. All the places in the steel making process place the coke in direct contact with the molten metal, and in every case you are trying to remove impurities. I remember that the refinery at Callendar was shipping Pet Coke to LA or LB for export, but I have never heard of any going to Kaiser.

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jst3751 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > While I have no direct knowledge of whether or
> not
> > any of the forms of petroleum coke today are
> used
> > by steel mills, I know for a fact it was used
> at
> > Kaiser Steel in Fontana, CA.
>
> Then why did they receive all that coal hauled in
> by UP/DRGW from Sunnyside Mine. And by ATSF from
> the York Canyon Mine. All the places in the steel
> making process place the coke in direct contact
> with the molten metal, and in every case you are
> trying to remove impurities. I remember that the
> refinery at Callendar was shipping Pet Coke to LA
> or LB for export, but I have never heard of any
> going to Kaiser.

PetCoke is used WITH coal. Back in the day, Kaiser Steel received at least 20 truck loads of petcoke every day from the refineries in LA/LB. I should know, my dad was one of the owner/operators hauling it, 3 loads a day, 6 days a week.

There are three refineries (Laurel, Billings and East Billings) that load Petcoke into hoppers. Usually there are solid unit trains of the GATX hoppers taking the Petcoke to export at Roberts Bank, BC a few times a month. I wonder if they found a new buyer in Mexico?

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

jst wrote:

> PetCoke is used WITH coal. Back in the day, Kaiser
> Steel received at least 20 truck loads of petcoke
> every day from the refineries in LA/LB. I should
> know, my dad was one of the owner/operators
> hauling it, 3 loads a day, 6 days a week.

My guess is that the petcoke was injected by itself or mixed with powdered coal (not coke) for the hot blast through the tuyeres to enhance BF efficiency and reduce cost, a practice called PCI which became commercially viable in the 70s and is common today in ironmaking.

Also, the electrodes for EAFs in steelmaking are made in part with petcoke, so it is used indirectly in that sense also...

JG

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/21 21:14 by jgilmore.

That is the first time I have seen a Canadian National aircraft parts car.