Well, it happened.
176,000 gallons of crude leaked into a creek in North Dakota.
The leak wasn’t detected by the pipe’s owners. It was discovered by a local.
Officials aren’t sure yet what caused the leak, so let’s instead briefly talk about why pipelines fail in the first place.
Pipelines are composed of carbon steel. These pipes eventually leak because crude oil contains water and water is generally corrosive. Some oil sources, such as oil from the Tar Sands, contain more water than others.
This water sinks to the bottom of the pipe and mixes with organic materials to form a sludge. This sludge, in turn, provides nutrients for bacteria. The little critters produce sulfur as a bi-product of their metabolism and the sulfur contributes to pipe corrosion.
The first sign that something is amiss with a crude oil pipe is what’s known in the industry as a pinhole leak.
The following are resources for those of who are planning to shine light on this issue.
News story about the most recent spill.
A faulty pipeline has leaked 176,000 gallons of crude oil into a creek and the surrounding countryside 2.5 hours away from the Standing Rock protests in North Dakota.
The Health Effects of Oil Contamination: A Compilation of Research
Oil exploitation can lead to contamination of environments, which can have effects on human health…
At approximately 0240 Mountain standard time on 29 September 2009, a crude oil leak occurred…
Potential for Major Explosions from Crude Oil Pipeline Releases in Varied Terrain
Crude oil is often transported by pipelines from remote production sites to refineries. Sometimes oil releases take place, caused by sabotage, corrosion or external impact…
Federal Minimum pipeline safety regulations that establish minimum….
Crude oil contains about 0.05–5% sulfur and 0.5–2.1% nitrogen; indeed sulfur is usually the third most abundant element in crude oil…
A Case Study of a Multiple Fatality Incident at the Tosco, Avon Refinery, Martinez, California
On February 23, 1999, a fire occurred at the Tosco Avon Refinery in Martinez, California. Workers were attempting to replace piping attached to a 150-foot-tall crude fractionator while the process unit was in operation. The piping…
Keystone Pipeline Shutdowns, 1977–2002
TransCanada reports that the Keystone pipline, which will operate at 1700 psi, won’t leak in 900 years.
Annual Liquid Pipeline Safety Performance Report & Strategic Plan, 2013
Pipelines make life better every day for U.S. workers and consumers. Pipelines deliver the energy and raw materials American workers need for good-paying jobs that can support a family…
Crude Oil Transportation & Integrity Management, TransCanada
The Alberta Oil Sands represents 95% of Canada’s proven oil reserves…
Pipelines: Past, Present & Future
This paper gives an overview of the history of oil and gas pipelines, and their status today. It concludes with a glimpse at future pipelines, and issues we will be facing as we continue to burn fossil fuels and look for alternatives.
Pipeline leak detection or integrity monitoring (PIM) systems have been applied to various operational pipelines. While most of the systems can meet the requirements for detecting leaks within a specified time period, they generate false alarms during normal pipeline operating conditions…
Managing Corrosion of Pipelines that Transport Crude Oils
A simplified analogy for pipe corrosion is tooth decay…If you brush regularly, you probably won’t have many problems with your teeth…
The Smarter Way to Pipeline Integrity
Maximum data accuracy for peace of mind…
Keystone XL Pipeline: Independent Engineering Assessment — Final Report
TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP (Keystone) proposes to construct and operate a pipeline and related facilities known as Keystone XL Project (the Project)…
Risk Assessment of Oil Spills to U.S. Inland Waterways
A risk assessment of nearly 52,000 oil spills that have occurred in US inland navigable waterways since 1980 was conducted incorporating the probability of oil spills being from particular source types…
Technical Review of Leak Detection Technologies
Analysis of recent data from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Pipeline Safety (DOT-OPS) indicates that, despite stricter regulations and enforcement, the rate at which pipeline accidents occurs has not significantly changed…
Oil and Petroleum products have been transported through pipelines since the beginning of the twentieth century. These early pipelines were built in cast iron or steel…
