This Might Be The Most Exciting Chart In America

TBI ^ | 11-6-2011 | Joe Weisenthal

[Sequoyah101]

No, that is an unfortunate high water incident.

I have been on a tow boat, now 3.5 decades ago, passing downstream through Little Rock in high water when a railroad bridge was lowered on us at night. Just about didn’t get stopped and it would have been a disaster for several of us.

Back then it was a game of chicken in lots of places between the railroads and the barge companies.

[okie01]

- Overseas demand: Many of the rail shipments going to ports for overseas delivery, with the high oil prices paid making it a cost effective method of transport.

Not a factor. We haven't exported any crude oil in quite some time.

The last crude exports would've been a small amount of Alaskan crude in the late nineties, when there was a glut of oil on the West Coast (1996-99).

Since that time, the only exports have been refined products as follows:

1. Refined products, from Mexican crude, shipped back to Mexico as per purchase agreement.

2. Bunker fuel for shipping (when freighters re-fuel in American ports, it is counted as an export).

3. Refinery coke, which used to be burned by U.S. power plants, but is no longer allowed by the EPA.

One of the big factors in RR shipment of crude is the lack of refinery capacity in the Dakotas, where the Bakken play has become significant. One of the refiners is going to rely on a unit train to ship crude to a refinery at Anacortes, WA -- there being no pipeline to serve those two points.