Posted on 03/13/2015 12:01:59 PM PDT by thackney
And this would be far, far less of an issue if Obama and the deranged left allowed for the natural and common sense way of transporting crude - by pipeline. But as long as society is willing to submit to the lunacy of the left by shipping crude oil, in bulk, via railway tankers, people will remain in jeopardy and more people will die.
“We don’t like oil in trains!”
“We don’t like oil in pipes!”
“We don’t like oil in trucks!”
At the end of the day, they “don’t like oil”. Anything else is just noise.
Approved Oil Conditioning Order #25417
https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/Approved-or25417.pdf
IN THE MATTER OF A HEARING CALLED ON
A MOTION OF THE COMMISSION TO
CONSIDER AMENDING THE BAKKEN,
BAKKEN/THREE FORKS, THREE FORKS,
AND/OR SANISH POOL FIELD RULES TO
ESTABLISH OIL CONDITIONING STANDARDS
AND/OR IMPOSE SUCH PROVISIONS AS
DEEMED APPROPRIATE TO IMPROVE THE
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND
MARKETABILITY OF CRUDE OIL.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED:
(1) No well shall be hereafter produced in a Bakken, Bakken/Three Forks, Three Forks, and/or Sanish Pool (the Bakken Petroleum System), except in conformity with the regulations below without special order of the Commission after due notice and hearing.
(2) All wells completed in the Bakken Petroleum System must be produced through equipment utilizing the following conditioning standards to improve the marketability and safe transportation of the crude oil:
(a) A gas-liquid separator and/or emulsion heater-treater of ample capacity and in good working order that effectively separates the production into gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons, must be operated within manufacturer’s recommended operating limits;
(b) Production facilities utilizing a gas-liquid separator and/or an emulsion heater-treater operating at a pressure of no more than 50 psi on the final stage of separation prior to the crude oil storage tanks must heat the produced fluids to a temperature of no less than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Such temperature may be applied in the emulsion heater-treater or prior to the fluids entering the separator if no emulsion heater-treater is utilized; or
(c) Production facilities utilizing a gas-liquid separator and/or an emulsion heater-treater operating at a pressure greater than 50 psi on the final stage of separation prior to the vapor recovery system or crude oil storage tanks must heat the produced fluids to a temperature of no less than 110 degrees Fahrenheit and shall also be required to install a vapor recovery system on or immediately upstream of the crude oil storage tanks; or
(d) Production facilities utilizing gas-liquid separator(s) and/or emulsion heater-treater(s) operating at pressures and temperatures other than those provided in (b) or (c) above shall be allowed only upon the operator demonstrating that the operating pressures and temperatures of the separator(s) and/or emulsion heater-treater(s) are producing crude oil with a Vapor Pressure of Crude Oil (VPCRx) no greater than 13.7 psi or 1 psi less than the vapor pressure of stabilized crude oil as defined in the latest version of ANSI/API RP3000 whichever is lower. Such test must be performed by a person sufficiently trained to perform the test. All VPCRx tests shall be performed in accordance with the latest version of ASTM D6377 and shall be conducted quarterly. Samples for testing must be collected in accordance with ASTM D3700 or ASTM D5842 at the point of custody transfer. A Sundry Notice (Form 4) shall be submitted to the Director within 15 days of the test date which includes a screen shot and/or printout of the VPCRx test conducted and details the operating capacities, pressures, and temperatures of all well site conditioning equipment at the time ofthe test; or
(e) Production facilities utilizing an alternative oil conditioning method other than a gas-liquid separator(s) and/or an emulsion heater-treater(s) will only be approved by the Commission after due notice and hearing, and must:
(a) be capable of delivering crude oil with a VPCRx no greater than 13.7 psi at custody transfer; or
(b) provide safe transportation of marketable crude oil to a crude oil conditioning or stabilization plant.
(f) Commission personnel will periodically inspect production facilities and records to confirm operator compliance with the standards and requirements contained herein. Noncompliance could result in the Commission issuing civil and criminal penalties pursuant to North Dakota Century Code § 38-08-16.
(3) The following practices are hereby prohibited:
(a) Blending crude oil produced from the Bakken Petroleum System with liquids recovered from gas pipelines prior to custody transfer; and
(b) Blending crude oil produced from the Bakken Petroleum System with natural gas liquids (i.e. condensate, pentanes, butanes, or propane) prior to custody transfer.
More at link:
This is about making the oil transported less “explosive”.
This is about making the oil transported less “explosive”.
That would help some but the terrorists would find other ways to cause environmental damage by spilling a trainload in a river or something. I like pipelines myself.
Pipelines are hit by intentional damage as well.
See Nigeria.
This issue is not about terrorists.
This issue is not about terrorists.
Maybe not but I see a definite possibility and possibly homegrown ecoterrorists also. I think it is a mistake ruling them out. When the government starts yelling safety I get suspicious.
Flaming oil tanks are good for nightly news casts and furthering the anti-energy progressive cause.
Keeping pipelines closed and oil transfered by rail enriches Obama’s friends at Berkshire Hathaway.
When you use a pipeline, you have to make the entire capital investment before you ship one drop. Then you have to amortize, and hope that that the supply point and destination point remain stable, not just for the amortize period, but hopefully a much longer period so that you can make some good money far out into the future. A fifty year old pipeline is a good moneymaker.
OTOH, the rolling pipeline requires a much lower capital investment, and only an incremental capital investment, and can be put into service immediately. And if you need to relocate the rolling pipeline, its very easy to do.
It's easy to solve this problem: raise the flash point and lower the vapor pressure.
Railroads would pay under Dayton train safety plan
http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/politics/3699591-railroads-would-pay-under-dayton-train-safety-plan
Dayton’s rail safety funding plan would raise $33 million a year by increasing an existing assessment on the four largest Minnesota railroads. He also would increase railroads’ property taxes by starting to tax cars, bridges and other property now now taxes, bringing in $45 million a year for local governments to spend as they wish and another $21 million for the state.
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