Exxon pipeline leaks thousands of barrels of Canadian oil in Arkansas

Toronto Sun ^ | Mar 31/13 | MATTHEW ROBINSON AND DAVID SHEPPARD, REUTERS

[thackney]

Multiple fuels like gasoline grades and diesel will ship through the same pipeline. But there are products other than transportation fuels made at a refinery.

[Sequoyah101]

Oh yes, I forgot about that.

[thackney]

And for more info than you probably wanted....

Many pipeline now don’t even run the spacer (pigs) between the different products.

There is little “mixing” provided the pipeline remains at a velocity that keeps laminar and not turbulent flow inside the pipe.

The little bit of transmix is routed to a slop or transmix tank. That is then tested to see if it can be blended in with diesel or the like and still meet spec, or it is shipped back to a refinery to be separated out again.

Depending on the speed of the analysis equipment and automation with that to valving, the off-spec transmix can be kept to a rather low volume.

[RedStateRocker]

Thanks for asking the question. It was an intelligent question and I was wondering, too.

[stuartcr]

Anyone know the status of this? I can’t find anything, even the Cornwall Alliance hasn’t got anything?

[Dartman]

I found the whole thing rather odd. It happened on a Friday and I read about it Sunday, in a Canadian paper. I would have thought the MSM would have been all over this.

[stuartcr]

Maybe it was out of respect for Easter, or to prevent people from thinking it was an attack, or maybe whoever first found it, had to contact some people before it could be made public...

[okie01]

If I were Exxon, I'd be alert to signs of sabotage. Similarly with the train wreck in Minnesota.

Two spills -- both involving Canadian crude -- in the past week is just a little too much.

[okie01]

Just wondering why there are no refineries being built closer to the source? Is it too expensive or is it EPA stuff?

Once you refine the stuff, you have to distribute it to its markets.

There are no existing networks of product pipelines in the area. Building such supporting infrastructure would amount to a bigger, more expensive project than building a new large-scale refinery.

Thus, the most economical procedure is the crude oil pipeline to Texas (Keystone), where the refineries are, thence distribution to the rest of the nation via the existing product pipeline network.

[Vermont Lt]

Thanks. Sometimes us Non-oil folks don’t have a clue.

[dfwgator]

Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage
Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage
Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage
Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage

[Dartman]

Maybe it was out of respect for Easter

From the MSM??!! Sorry, that's just funny.

[Dartman]

Two spills -- both involving Canadian crude -- in the past week is just a little too much.

I hear you, brother.