Posted on 03/31/2013 5:02:56 AM PDT by Dartman
In most cases there isn’t enough crude coming from just one source to warrant a refinery.
These refineries have oil coming in by pipeline, ship, rail, and trucks from all over.
To all- please ping me to Canadian topics.
Canada Ping!
Part of it is logistics. Crude can be shipped in a single pipeline, but the refined products need to be transported separately.
What a laugh. “Mother Earth” is more than capable of defending herself. She needs no assistance from these Enviro-morons. What hubris.
Because building the shortening the crude/bitumen pipeline doesn’t solve any problems. Instead of transporting one product now you are transporting many. The refinery does not only produce transportation fuels, it also produces chemical/plastic feedstocks, residual oil or petroleum coke, sulfur and often some others.
Moving the refinery farther from the multiple customers only spends money while creating additional problems of delivery.
I thought the Oakville refineries were all closed. I don’t think gasoline sold in Alberta comes from Ontario rather from refineries , Petro Can and Shell in Alberta and from BC.
He may have been referring the the Petro-Can Clarkson Refinery, near the Oakville-Mississauga boundary.
Thanks for the answers to my question. I appreciate it.
Once upon a time I picked bulk motor oil up there. I didn’t think they refined gasoline or distillates there. Those were picked up from terminals on the pipeline that runs from Sarnia to London, Toronto , Ottawa and Montreal.
Actually, I believe product pipelines like the Colonial System ship multiple products in the same line with spacers between.
Moving multiple products from concentrated areas of production to concentrated areas of consumption as a single product is more efficient from both shipping and distribution standpoints.
http://www.colpipe.com/ab_faq.asp
The rupture was underground so that may preclude sabtage. Also makes cleanup expensive and disruptive. Looks like Exxon just bought a housing development.
How products are separated in pipelines.
http://www.adventuresinenergy.org/Refined-Product-Pipelines/Batch-Management.html
Depending on the exact location of the break I don’t think an ‘underground’ location would be beyond the EPA’s ability to get to, with a little help from ‘friends’ in high places.
However, let’s hope not.
Ping.
I live in Edmonton only a few miles from three refineries, and there are more newer, larger ones N.E. of the city.
This size of pipeline leak is rare and no big deal as the cleanup process is routine and very manageable. There are thousands of miles of pipelines all over the US carrying all types of liquid products. Some are old and breaks occur due to corrosion or stress cracks. All pipelines have regular inspections but leaks happen. Even so, pipelines move liquids much safer and cheaper than almost all other ways of transport.
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