Oil on Derailed Train in North Dakota Met State's Rule, Hess Says


May 07:

The crude oil aboard the train that derailed and burst into flames in North Dakota on Wednesday had been treated to reduce its volatility.
John Roper, a spokesman for Hess Corp., the shipper, said the crude complied with a new state rule requiring the treatment of crude oil that is meant to make it less prone to explode.
Mr. Roper said the crude had been run through a "heater treater" to remove volatile gases and make the crude oil less combustible. He said the vapor pressure of the crude, a measure of its volatility, had been measured at the rail terminal in Tioga, N.D., at 10.8 pounds a square inch. Earlier this year, state officials began requiring shippers to ensure the vapor pressure was below 13.7 psi.
The BNSF Railway Co. train carrying the crude derailed Wednesday morning near Heimdal, a small town about 100 miles northeast of Bismarck. Six cars were engulfed in flames and burned for more than 24 hours. Nearby residents were evacuated.
North Dakota officials approved the crude-treatment rule last year after several trains carrying oil from the state's Bakken Shale erupted into fireballs after derailing. The incident Wednesday was at least the ninth fiery oil- train derailment in the U.S. and Canada since 2013.
Some critics of the rule said it didn't go far enough and have asked that companies be required to strip out even more gases.
Federal efforts to reduce the risks of crude by rail have focused on speed limits as well as improvements to tanker cars and braking systems.
The amount of crude oil moved by railroad has skyrocketed in recent years. About 1.08 million barrels a day moved by rail in February 2015, the most recent month that the federal government has data. This is down slightly from a record 1.24 million barrels a day set in December.

Source:http://www.nasdaq.com/article/oil-on-derailed-train-in-north-dakota-met-states-rule-hess-says-20150507-01648?

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