Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines
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TRB Special Report 311: Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines Special Report 311 Report Special Transportation Research Board Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines Special Report 311 Bitumen is a dense and viscous form of petroleum that will flow through unheated pipe- lines only when diluted with lighter oils. The source of the bitumen processed in North American refineries is the oil andss region of Alberta, Canada. Legislation enacted in January 2012 called on the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine whether shipments of diluted bitumen increase the likelihood of releases from transmission pipelines as compared with shipments of other crude oils. This report examines whether shipments of diluted bitumen have chemical and physi- Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines Effects on Crude Oil Transmission of Diluted Bitumen cal properties that would make pipelines more susceptible to failure. Data on reported causes of pipeline failures are analyzed along with the potential for pipelines transport- ing diluted bitumen to experience more corrosion, cracking, and mechanical damage that can lead to releases. The committee that developed the report did not find any causes of pipeline failure unique to the transportation of diluted bitumen. Furthermore, it did not find evidence that diluted bitumen had properties that are outside the range of those of other crude oils or any other aspect of the transportation of diluted bitumen by pipeline that would make it more likely than other crude oils to cause releases. also of interest: Macondo Well–Deepwater Horizon Blowout: Lessons for Improving Offshore Drilling Safety National Academies Press, ISBN 978-0-309-22138-2, 196 pages, 6 x 9, paperback, 2011, $47.00 Policy Options for Reducing Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Transportation TRB Special Report 307, ISBN 978-0-309-16742-0, 208 pages, 6 x 9, paperback, 2011, $38.00 Effects of Diluted Bitumen Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use National Academies Press, ISBN 978-0-309-14640-1, 506 pages, 6 x 9, paperback, 2010, $47.00 Risk of Vessel Accidents and Spills in the Aleutian Islands: Designing a Comprehensive Risk on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines Assessment TRB Special Report 293, ISBN 978-0-309-11332-8, 225 pages, 6 x 9, paperback, 2008, $36.00 Oil Spill Dispersants: Efficacy and Effects National Academies Press, ISBN 978-0-309-09562-4, 400 pages, 6 x 9, paperback, 2005, $55.00 Transmission Pipelines and Land Use: A Risk-Informed Approach TRB Special Report 281, ISBN 0-309-09455-0, 122 pages, 6 x 9, paperback, 2004, $23.00 Oil in the Sea III: Inputs, Fates, and Effects National Academies Press, ISBN 978-0-309-08438-3, 280 pages, 8.5 x 11, paperback, 2003, $54.95 ISBN 978-0-309-28675-6 9 0 0 0 0 9 780309 286756 Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. TRB Special Report 311: Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines transportation research board special report 311 Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines Committee for a Study of Pipeline Transportation of Diluted Bitumen Transportation Research Board Board on Energy and Environmental Systems Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology Transportation Research Board Washington, D.C. 2013 www.TRB.org Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. TRB Special Report 311: Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines Transportation Research Board Special Report 311 Subscriber Categories Energy; freight transportation; pipelines; policy; terminals and facilities Transportation Research Board publications are available by ordering individual publications directly from the TRB Business Office, through the Internet at www.TRB.org or national-academies.org/trb, or by annual subscription through organizational or individual affiliation with TRB. Affiliates and library subscribers are eligible for substantial discounts. For further information, contact the Transportation Research Board Business Office, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 (telephone 202-334- 3213; fax 202-334-2519; or e-mail [email protected]). Copyright 2013 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee respon- sible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to the procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. This report was sponsored by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Cover and interior design by Beth Schlenoff, Beth Schlenoff Design Cover photos copyright © TransCanada Corporation. All rights reserved. Typesetting by Circle Graphics, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Effects of diluted bitumen on crude oil transmission pipelines/Committee for a Study of Pipeline Transportation of Diluted Bitumen, Transportation Research Board, Board on Energy and Environ- mental Systems, Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology. pages cm—(Special report/Transportation Research Board ; 311) Summary: “Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines TRB Special Report 311: Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines analyzes whether shipments of diluted bitumen have a greater likelihood of release from pipelines than shipments of other crude oils. The oil sands region of Canada is the source of diluted bitumen shipped by pipeline to the United States. The committee that produced the report did not find any pipeline failures unique to the transportation of diluted bitumen or evidence of physical or chem- ical properties of diluted bitumen shipments that are outside the range of those of other crude oil shipments. The committee’s comprehensive review did not find evidence of any specific aspect of the transportation of diluted bitumen that would make it more likely than other crude oils to cause pipelines releases”—Provided by publisher. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-309-28675-6 (alk. paper) 1. Petroleum pipelines. 2. Bitumen—Transportation. I. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee for a Study of Pipeline Transportation of Diluted Bitumen. II. National Reseach Council (U.S.). Board on Energy and Environmental System. III. National Research Council (U.S.). Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology. IV. Series: Special report (National Research Council (U.S.). Transportation Research Board) ; 311. TN879.5.E32 2013 665.5'44—dc23 2013029097 Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. TRB Special Report 311: Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. 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