{"id":16304,"date":"2015-06-06T09:08:53","date_gmt":"2015-06-06T14:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=16304"},"modified":"2015-06-06T14:13:25","modified_gmt":"2015-06-06T19:13:25","slug":"petro-peril-the-cross-country-odyssey-of-bakken-crude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/petro-peril-the-cross-country-odyssey-of-bakken-crude\/","title":{"rendered":"PETRO PERIL:  The cross-country odyssey of Bakken crude"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By Bryce Gray<\/p>\n<div style=\"float: right; width: 260px; margin-left: 10px;\">\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/petro-250.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250px\" \/><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>RELATED STORIES<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 15px;\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/wp.me\/p5dTAg-4bT\">Three months after derailment, Bakken crude still fuels concerns in town<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/video-concerns-over-safety-of-fuel-carrying-trains-in-the-wake-of-galena-derailment\/\" target=\"_blank\">VIDEO: Concerns over safety of fuel-carrying trains in wake of Galena<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/wp.me\/p5dTAg-4fw\" target=\"_blank\">Oil by rail: a changing landscape<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"dropcap\">From its Late Devonian and Early Mississippian resting place of some 300 million years, the light, sweet crude of \u201cBakken gold\u201d is extracted through hydraulic fracturing, or \u201cfracking,\u201d and horizontal drilling techniques. As soon as the oil bubbles to the wellhead at the surface, the process of converting it into a market-ready commodity begins in earnest.<\/p>\n<p>At the wellhead, the crude is stored in stock tanks, and eventually undergoes preliminary heating to remove water.<\/p>\n<p>Natural gas also exits the wells through the drilling process. Satellite imagery shows widespread flaring that sets the region aglow at night, as approximately 30 percent of the area\u2019s natural gas is burned off. When possible, the gas is captured and stored separately from tanks of crude, to be processed into fuels such as propane or butane.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16303\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16303\" style=\"width: 892px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16303\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/satellite-e1433596362803.jpg\" alt=\"Satellite imagery shows widespread natural gas flaring\" width=\"892\" height=\"772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/satellite-e1433596362803.jpg 892w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/satellite-e1433596362803-300x260.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 892px) 100vw, 892px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Satellite imagery shows widespread natural gas flaring that sets the region aglow at night, as approximately 30 percent of the area\u2019s natural gas is burned off (Source: NASA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ryan Couture, an energy consultant at engineering firm Turner, Mason &amp; Company, said that flaring is not intentionally wasteful, but rather an unfortunate casualty of economics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe short answer is there\u2019s not the infrastructure in place to collect it,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause as the expansion was going on so quickly in the Bakken for drilling, it\u2019s easier to throw a couple tanks there for liquids, but for the gas, you really need to pipe it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After separating out the water and gas, the crude enters the shipment phase of its lifespan. At this stage, it is most commonly loaded into cylindrical model DOT-111 rail cars, which are under growing scrutiny in terms of safety and design.<\/p>\n<p>Those calls have led railroads to voluntarily phase in the use of CPC-1232 rail cars. Billed as being a safer alternative to the maligned DOT-111 models, the design of the 1232 incorporates thicker tanks and head shields positioned at either end of the car, to serve as a buffer in the event of a collision. Despite their goal of enhanced safety, these cars, too, have been involved in explosive derailments, including the accident near Galena, Illinois, in March.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_16373\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16373\" style=\"width: 611px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1k4xVKD9kjLcEnOAJE2iMRWTIxyoEDiJp7-ptE59zv0A\/pubchart?oid=962389527\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/ezra-petrol-chart-2.jpg\" alt=\"Geographic distribution of Bakken crude\" width=\"611\" height=\"404\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/ezra-petrol-chart-2.jpg 611w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/ezra-petrol-chart-2-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 611px) 100vw, 611px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16373\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&uarr; Click on chart of interactive version). While the amount of crude oil traversing the nation by rail has climbed steadily, the destination has shifted dramatically. (Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration)<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \\>In 2010, rail accounted for shipment of approximately 30 million barrels of crude oil. But the prolific Bakken oil boom helped drive that total to 270 million barrels in 2014. A growing percentage of Bakken oil is destined for refineries on the East Coast, which requires that it first pass through Chicago, the nation\u2019s preeminent rail hub.<\/p>\n<p>Once the crude arrives at the refinery, it is finally processed into usable petroleum products, such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel. This is most commonly done through a distillation process that heats and separates the fuel into products of different weights, determined partially by the demands of the market (lighter fuels, such as gasoline, are typically of greater value than heavier products, like residential fuel oil.)<\/p>\n<h3>BAKKEN OIL MORE VOLATILE THAN OTHERS?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"dropcap\">The number of high-profile oil train explosions associated with the Bakken oil boom have caused many to question whether the fuel source is more volatile and prone to combustion than other crude oils.<\/p>\n<p>As a light crude, technically Bakken oil is more volatile than heavier hydrocarbons.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll light crude oils are volatile compared to heavy oils like tar sands,\u201d said Couture. \u201cBut it\u2019s consistent with other light crudes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nicole Leonard, an analyst with Bentek Energy, an industry analytics firm, echoed that the properties of Bakken crude are largely consistent with other crudes, but noted that analysis she\u2019s seen places it \u201con the high end of vapor pressure\u201d compared to similar oil types.<\/p>\n<p>Based on samples tested through May 2014, the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration determined that Bakken oil is classified correctly under their safety guidelines, but does exhibit attributes such as a higher gas content, higher vapor pressure and lower flash point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe conclude that while this product does not demonstrate the characteristics for a flammable gas, corrosive liquid or toxic material, it is more volatile than most other types of crude \u2013 which correlates to increased ignitability and flammability,\u201d the PHMSA report stated.<\/p>\n<p>One assertion circulating in the wake of oil train derailments is that the Bakken crude \u201cseparates out\u201d during early-stage processing and shipment, concentrating its more volatile components in one place.<\/p>\n<p>Industry insiders, however, insist that separation \u2013 either at the wellhead or naturally during transit &#8211; does not occur until the material reaches the refinery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen processing to get the water out at the wellhead, there\u2019s not a ton of separation,\u201d said Leonard. \u201cOnce you get to the refineries you have to heat it up to a certain temperature to get the different refined products.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Couture also refuted the notion that Bakken crude undergoes separation prior to the refining process.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not going to get crude oil stratifying,\u201d he said, noting that tank cars are equipped with specially designed roofs to minimize vapor space.<\/p>\n<div class=\"quoteright\"><em>\u201cYou\u2019re gonna need to make it indestructible in order to not have a problem,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re talking tens of tons colliding into each other at 50 mph.\u201d<\/em>\u2014 Ryan Couture<\/div>\n<p>He believes that Bakken\u2019s newly gained notoriety in the wake of recent derailments is a function of increased risk, with so much oil moving on the nation\u2019s rail system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re increasing your odds that you\u2019re going to have more instances,\u201d Couture said, noting that the rail trip of oil in Texas is only 400 miles compared to the 2,000-mile trek from North Dakota to the East Coast. \u201cSo you have five times the distance and 10 times the crude, [meaning] you have 50 times the odds that you\u2019re going to have a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for the explosive recent accidents, Couture chalked that up as an occupational hazard of getting a fuel source to distant markets and refineries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese cars are not exploding sitting on the tracks,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re catching on fire after they derail while in motion and the rail cars have actually breached.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With rail lines traversing densely populated towns and cities around the country, ensuring public safety requires that somebody \u2013 whether public or private \u2013 invests in more stringent safeguards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBNSF has advocated for a safer tank car in the movement of crude oil and finally setting a new federal standard will get the next generation tank car into service and substantially reduce the risk of a release in the event of an incident,\u201d said Roxanne Butler, media relations director for BNSF.<\/p>\n<p>But Couture said engineering against the inherent risks of oil shipment is not feasible for rail companies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re gonna need to make it indestructible in order to not have a problem,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re talking tens of tons colliding into each other at 50 mph.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>TIME FOR MORE PIPELINES?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"dropcap\">The highly publicized rash of oil train derailments has renewed some discussion of whether pipelines \u2013 themselves a controversial delivery method\u2013 represent a safer alternative for distribution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBasically a pipeline is the preferred choice in almost any circumstance,\u201d said Sandy Fielden, a Texas-based analyst at RBN Energy who writes a blog about the Bakken region. \u201cIt\u2019s cheaper, it\u2019s more efficient and it\u2019s safer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fielden said that although rail is a less attractive option than pipelines, it won\u2019t go away as a primary shipment option for a number of reasons, including distance. Most notably, pipeline access to refineries along the densely populated East Coast is \u201cunlikely\u201d to happen.<\/p>\n<p>As for shipment to the West Coast, \u201cthe Rockies kind of get in the way,\u201d Fielden noted bluntly.<\/p>\n<p>The investment of time and money required to construct pipelines also helped shift the burden to railroads.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the reasons rail was popular is that it takes a lot of time to construct a pipeline,\u201d said Fielden.<\/p>\n<p>Those constraints mean that railroads will continue to bear a disproportionate share of Bakken oil for the foreseeable future, leaving residents near rail lines to hope that new standards for rail cars will keep them out of harm\u2019s way.<\/p>\n<p>Some area residents maintain that those regulations are not enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe new rules out of the D.O.T. are too little too late,\u201d said Lora Chamberlain, an organizer and spokesperson for Chicagoland Oil By Rail, a coalition of concerned citizens. Chamberlain said that the new guidelines are full of loopholes, and can be avoided if certain numbers of oil cars aren\u2019t linked together consecutively.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just Swiss cheese. There are so many ways for the railroads to get around it. Plus, we don\u2019t think it\u2019s the cars,\u201d she said. \u201cWe think it\u2019s the cargo.\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"border: 1px solid gray; padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; background-color: #EFEFEF; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px;\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"padding-top: 10px;\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/petro-250.jpg\" alt=\"petro peril 250\" width=\"250\" height=\"142\" class=\"alignright\" \/><em>One in <a href=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/category\/topics\/petro-peril\/\" target=\"_blank\">an ongoing series of stories<\/a> examining the impact of millions of gallons of volatile crude oil as it passes in rail tanker cars through densely populated Chicagoland each day.<\/em>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Bryce Gray RELATED STORIES Three months after derailment, Bakken crude still fuels concerns in town VIDEO: Concerns over safety of fuel-carrying trains in wake of Galena Oil by rail: a changing landscape From its Late Devonian and Early Mississippian resting place of some 300 million years, the light, sweet crude of \u201cBakken gold\u201d is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":16343,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,496,30,436],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-science","category-petro-peril","category-public-affairs","category-spring-2015"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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