Posted on 04/14/2014 7:56:20 AM PDT by thackney
California is preparing for an oil boom — brought in on rail cars.
There are no pipelines that bring crude oil into California. For decades, the fuel that powers the state’s 32 million vehicles has come from tanker ships or in-state production.
But government regulators predict a surge in U.S. oil production will means a steep increase in the number of trains carrying it to California refineries.
The Ventura County Star reported Sunday that the increase in rail traffic will happen quickly, jumping from 9,000 carloads in 2011 to more than 200,000 carloads by 2016, according to California Energy Commission estimates.
Within a few years, analysts predict 25 percent of oil consumed in California will arrive at state refineries by rail.
According to the California Public Utilities Commission, five California refineries have facilities either about to come online or in the planning stages that will let them receive crude-oil deliveries by rail.
(Excerpt) Read more at fuelfix.com ...
We are doing some work on a new railcar crude offload facility at Valero - Benicia.
http://www.valero.com/ourbusiness/ourlocations/refineries/pages/benicia.aspx
Valero acquired the Benicia Refinery in 2000. Built as a grass-roots project in 1968, this plant has undergone significant modifications and upgrades to become what it is today one of the most complex refineries in the United States.
Approximately 70 percent of the refinery’s product slate is CARB gasoline, California’s clean-burning fuel.
The refinery also has significant asphalt production capabilities and produces 25 percent of the asphalt supply in northern California.
Currently, the refinery processes domestic crude from the San Joaquin Valley in California and the Alaska North Slope, along with foreign sour crudes.
Of course the NIMBY’s have started:
Sacramento officials say they only recently learned that a proposed rail terminal at the Valero company’s refinery in Benicia could dramatically increase the number of trains carrying crude oil through the region, including through populated downtowns. They say they are scrambling to fashion a joint statement to Valero officials expressing concerns.
The trains would travel on the Union Pacific line that runs through both the Roseville and downtown Sacramento railyards, as well as through downtown West Sacramento and Davis. Those are the same tracks that carry Capitol Corridor passenger trains between Sacramento and the Bay Area.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/02/6287449/refinery-plans-to-ship-100-train.html
Apr. 2, 2014
Rangeley fire chief tells Senate subcommittee people ‘vaporized’ in Quebec rail disaster
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3144085/posts
Mile long trains of combustible crude rolling down from 6000 feet up in the Sierras through California’s capitol.
Nope, that’ll never cause a problem.
What could possible go wrong?
Of course, the sad thing is California has enough oil to supply itself. They won't do that, so they have to bring it in by rail. Now people are trying to stop that.
I guess they need to build more windmills.
Fooking Stoopit.
We have plenty of our own resources.
We should exploit it and reduce our dependency on “Oil Producing States”!!!
Put California to work!
Back in 1991 I was driving past Valero in Benicia when one of the storage tanks literally blew a lid.
Biggest dang’d fireball I ever saw and the heat immediately traveled across the highway.
I slapped the “Go Pedal” to the carpet as I rolled my windows up.
When I got to the other side of the bridge my adrenaline was so high I had stop and take a breather.
Must have been 50 other cars, filled with people who felt the same way.
It was way to Kewel!!!
No doubting your story, but it wasn’t Valero’s refinery until 2000. They bought it from ExxonMobil.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Exxon-Mobil-Sells-Benicia-Refinery-to-Texas-Firm-2798780.php
Same idiots that complain of crude being transported by railcar also are militantly against transporting crude by pipeline.
Where’s Neveda?
Is that pronounced Na-Vee-dah?
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