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Keystone XL Pipeline vs. Tank Car
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<p>[quote user="PNWRMNM"]</p> <p>One thing I can not quite figure out is if, as some here claim, this material would have to be heated to unload from tank cars, how can it be pumped 1660 miles through an in ground pipeline? [/quote]</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">That is something I have been wondering about, but there seems to be no clear answer on the Internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, the tar sands crude can be moved through a pipeline, but must either be heated to thin it, or be thinned at the source by blending it with a solvent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My understanding is that the method for pipeline transport is thinning with a solvent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I speculate that the solvent is recovered at the destination and reused at the source of the crude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">I further speculate that the solvent thinning would used in the rail transport option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The solvent is shipped to the tar sands source by rail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some have mentioned using steam coils in the tank cars, which has been typical for some products that do not flow adequately in cold weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In conjunction with this heating at the destination, the product could be heated at the source and shipped in insulated tank cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I find it difficult to imagine the use of the steam coil option in high-production unit trains of crude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Both the pipeline and rail option require the use of energy to move the product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The energy needed to heat the product for unloading (or maintaining the temperature during transit) would add a considerable cost.</span></span></span></p>
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