Posted on 10/26/2013 10:28:55 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
An eyewitness noted when thirteen railroad tanker cars carrying propane and crude oil across Alberta, Canada exploded after derailing early on October 20th, "the fireball was so big, it shot across both lanes of the Yellowhead (Highway)... there's fire on both sides." Only two Canadian National Railway workers were injured and no deaths have been reported in this latest "pipeline on rails" calamity, but the horrific accident comes just 3 months after a similar oil train disaster in a populated area took 47 lives in Lac-Megantic, Quebec.
It is too early to determine the cause of the latest accident, although Canadian investigators believe the Quebec carnage appears to be due to the train operator's criminal negligence. But the real criminal negligence is that oil from fracking operations in booming North Dakota must be shipped by trains over a thousand mile to refiners in Nova Scotia, because U.S. regulators and their crony allies have fought building pipelines in order to protect and subsidize the profits of railroads, such as the Burlington Northern Railway Company that controls half the business. Given the huge risks of catastrophic loss of life and property, the Obama Administration will soon be under greater pressure to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Every day, an average of ten trains with up to 100 tank-cars leave North Dakota carrying 3.35 million gallons of raw crude oil to journey over a thousand miles to refineries in Nova Scotia and Texas. Railroads carry 75% of North Dakota oil and are the prime reason oil hauled by tank cars in the U.S. rose over the last three years by 2,000% to a total of 6.5 billion gallons. Berkshire Hathaway's CEO, Warren Buffet, announced that profits jumped 7.8% to $2.37 billion on strong railroad profits at their Burlington Northern subsidiary.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
AKA, dirty rotten shame
Actually, The oil companies are using a more flexible technology than old, fixed pipelines.
They’re what I call “moveable pipelines.” T
hey can connect almost any two locations in North America – in a matter of days, not years.
“Moveable pipelines” aren’t new, actually. The science has been around for years. The oil companies tried it out here and there, on a small scale.
But even as recently as 10 years ago, there was no need for it. The existing pipeline infrastructure in the U.S. was easily accessible to all the major oil fields.
At that time, everyone thought pumping oil from shale rock was a fantasy.
It wasn’t until the shale oil boom took off in the last few years that the lack of options for oil transport became a critical problem.
So oil companies dusted off “moveable pipelines” out of desperation. The early results were stunning. The oil got there five times faster, with less risk of major spillage.
And “moveable pipelines” could be set up in days, not years.
Moveable pipelines are now “a viable, real option Five years ago the choice was pipe or leave it in the ground.
n just under two years, the amount of North Dakota oil traveling by “moveable pipeline” has increased tenfold.
These days, nearly 75% of the oil produced in North Dakota leaves the state by “moveable pipeline.”
That’s more than 800,000 barrels per day…
More than the Keystone XL pipeline was designed to carry.
Thanks in part to “moveable pipelines,” North Dakota just passed Alaska to become the second-largest oil-producing state in the U.S.
Texas remains No. 1, and it’s started to take full advantage of “moveable pipeline” technology as well.
That’s why a number of Texas pipeline projects have been canceled or delayed – the oil meant for these pipelines is already being shipped by “moveable pipeline.”
There’s far less need for a fixed pipeline.
By 2016, industry experts expect more than 2.7 million barrels of American oil per day to be shipped by “moveable pipeline.”
Well, ya know, saving the earth comes at a price. Like the price buffett is charging to “rail road” to product.
—while I agree that the pipeline should be built, most of those opposed to shipping oil by rail are opposed to using it in any form except , of course, when it comes to themselves—not too many tree-huggers confine themselves to walking for transportation, the sun for heat and use no electricity-—
Ping
I agree. And for NYS to forbid fracking is another crime. It’s about JOBS.....We’re masters at training people for good jobs.
A premeditated crime is not negligence.
The author uses a couple of very poor examples to make his point. The Keystone XL pipeline wouldn’t have done a damn thing to address transportation issues related to the crude oil in the two incidents described there.
a new Federal court ruling may prevent ANY new pipelines, what a clusterfuck. http://sustainability.thomsonreuters.com/2013/10/24/oil-shippers-decry-judge-ruling-seaway-pipeline-tariffs/
Excellent article. Clearly points out the profits of the PRIVATE pipeline companies of 3 to 4 dollars a barrel oil shipped.
Private pipeline companies have the power of Eminent Domain to seize private citizens land while making Billions off it per year. It’s Good to be the King.
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