Global InformationRailbit information
Railbit is a common blend of bitumen and diluent used for rail transport. Railbit which contains approximately 17% diluents or less.[1][2][Notes 1][3] compared to 30%[2] in dilbit. Dilbit can be transported through pipelines[2] but railbit cannot. To prevent solidifying in lower temperatures, both raw bitumen and railbit require insulated rail cars with steam-heated coils.[4][5] Because it has a smaller percentage of diluents, railbit crude requires special capacity rail unload terminals capable of loading railbit and of handling larger unit trains. By the fall 2013 approximately 25% had that capacity.[1] The U.S. State Department in their 2014 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)[6] regarding the proposed extension to the Keystone Pipeline, acknowledged that,
[R]aw bitumen by rail could provide better netbacks than dilbit by pipeline (Fielden 2013; Genscape 2013). Dedicated rail cars, DRUs, and/or rail terminal equipment are needed to effectively transport rawbit, which explains why most producers opt for pipelines given current infrastructure. There are increasing reports of producers doing increased testing of the potential to ship rawbit (MEG Energy third quarter earnings call; Cenovus third quarter earnings call).
— SEIS 2014
- ^ a b Fielden, Sandy (8 September 2013), Go Your Own Way – Can Canadian Railbit Crude Compete With Pipelines?, retrieved 4 February 2014
- ^ a b c Lindley, Don (18 April 2013). The Diluent Market A Midstream Operator's Perspective (PDF). Wells Fargo Fundamental Forum. Houston, Texas: Kinder Morgan. p. 4.
- ^ Fielden, Sandy (9 September 2013), "Go Your Own Way – Can Canadian Railbit Crude Compete With Pipelines?", Oil and Gas Financial Journal, retrieved 4 February 2014
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Fielden_OGFJ_2013was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
CAPP2013was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)", Department of State, January 2014, retrieved 2 February 2014
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