Monday, April 15, 2013

Crudemonitor.CA redefines Wabasca Heavy from Dilbit to Crude

Link to this: http://tinyurl.com/DilbitIsNotOil3

See also:  
http://tinyurl.com/DilbitIsNotOil
http://tinyurl.com/DilbitIsNotOil2

On April 7, 2013, I obtained this screenshot:

Notice the following:

Heavy Sour Conventional 

Density (kgm/m3): 914-932
Gravity (API): 20-24
Heavy Sour Dilbit (Wabasca Heavy)
Density (kgm/m3): 923-935
Gravity (API): 19-22

On April 14, 2013, I obtained this screenshot:




Notice the following have all changed

Heavy Sour Conventional (Wabasca Heavy moved here)
Density (kgm/m3): 914-935
Gravity (API): 19-24
Heavy Sour Dilbit
Density (kgm/m3): 923-931
Gravity (API): 20-22


Here is a summary of the changes.
  1. Wabasca Heavy reclassified from "Heavy Sour Dilbit" to "Heavy Sour Conventional"
  2. The high-end of the density range of "Heavy Sour Conventional" has be INCREASED from 932 to 934 kgm/m3.
  3. The high-end of the density range of "Heavy Sour Dilbit" has been LOWERED  from 935 to 931 kgm/m3.
  4. The low end of the range of API gravity of "Heavy Sour Conventional" has been LOWERED from 20 to 19.
  5. The low end of the range of API gravity of "Heavy Sour Dilbit" has been INCREASED from 19 to 20.


April 7, 2013 April 14, 2013
Heavy Sour Conventional
Heavy Sour Conventional 

  • Density (kgm/m3): 914-932
  • Gravity (API): 20-24
(Wabasca Heavy moved here)

  • Density (kgm/m3): 914-935
  • Gravity (API): 19-24
Heavy Sour Dilbit Heavy Sour Dilbit
(Wabasca Heavy)
  • Density (kgm/m3): 923-935
  • Gravity (API): 19-22

  • Density (kgm/m3): 923-931
  • Gravity (API): 20-22

So let's assume that Wabasca Heavy has a density of 933-935 kgm/m3,
and an API of 19.

So what Crudemonitor.CA has done is redefined Heavy Sour Conventional
and Heavy Sour Dilbit so that a product with these specifications could be
moved from Dilbit to Conventional.

This is an industry website, so we can imagine they print
whatever Exxon-Mobil tells them to print. 

Again: Exxon Mobil seems hell-bent on preventing the public from thinking that what was in that pipeline was Dilbit.


Why is this?
  • Dilbit implies Alberta Tar Sands, and Keystone Pipeline, which are both hotly opposed by environmentalists.
  • Dilbit is more corrosive than conventional crude oil. 
  • Dilbit is heavier and stickier, and requires higher heat and pressure in the pipeline. Higher sustained pressures may lead to failures, especially with aging pipelines. 
  • Higher viscosity pipelines are more subject to impulses from cavitation and fluid hammer which can lead to failure. 
  • Dilbit pipelines may be more prone to undamped resonances which can lead to failure. This is known as the "Kohlhase Effect". see: http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/10/very-interesting-are-all-pipelines.html

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