Magnitude of Hazards Associated with the Rail Transport of Crude Oil and LPG

Abstract

Over the past several years, the volume of crude oil being transported by rail has dramatically increased. With this increase, the number of train accidents involving crude oil rail cars has also increased. A common perception of the public is that the risk associated with “crude-by-rail” has increased. This may be true due to an increase in rail car shipments but has the magnitude of hazards associated with crude by rail transport changed? Arguments have been made that the compositions of specific crudes make them more hazardous than conventional crude. Is there a basis for this claim? As the volume of crude transported by rail has increased, so has the volume of liquefied petroleum gases (LPGs) transported by rail, albeit with different types of rail cars than those used for crude oil. This paper will investigate the magnitude of hazards associated with rail transport of a range of crude oils and LPGs. The release mechanisms will be affected by the type of rail car employed (DOT-112, DOT-111, and the modified DOT-111 called the 1232) and the fluid condition upon release. The result of the overall analysis will be a side-by-side comparison of hazard magnitude as a function of the transported fluid and the rail car employed.