Friday, April 25, 2014

New Freature - Digging Up Koch Secrets


It is Friday Night, and from now on this is the time another tiny chink falls from the wall the Kochs have built between themselves and reality. Confession is good for the soul - if you have one. 

 There are many things the Kochs do not want you to know about them.  Some of these touch on their business practices, some on their unique and ongoing attempts to rent to buy America's political system.  And then there's their personal lives....




The Kochs Share Their Little Secrets on Tar Sands
No. 1 - Just Like Molasses
(In the Continuing Series}

Remember when we told you Tar Sands have the viscosity of molasses? 

 
We Lied. 

 
This protester found out the Hard Way (Excuse the pun)

So, how do we shove it through those Pipes? 

 
No. 2 – The Witches of Enbridge
 


And now, a few sobering facts

 
According to PHMSA, the oil must be heated to move it to the surface, making it more toxic. 

Then, it must be combined with even more toxic solvents to keep it from turning solid in the pipeline. The principal solvents used are Benzene and Toluene. 

Benzene is a known carcinogen.
Toluene is a potent neurotoxin. 

With up to 5% volatile solvents together with deadly hydrogen sulfide and increased heavy metals, these poison pipelines are one of the most dangerous hydrocarbon transport mechanisms known in America. 
 
Wabasca Tar Sands are a thousand times more resistant to flow than molasses when the Bitumen is in the reservoir (5 million cp).

In the Wabasca Field area, the bitumen is a solid asphaltic substance (see bitumen photo below) composed of organic matter and Asphaltenes which by definition are soluble in both toxic benzene and toluene.i
 
Refined Bitumen





 
Source: PHMSA 2012i


iPHMSA July 23, 2012 Transportation Research Board Study of Pipeline Transportation of Diluted Bitumen
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) national Academy of Science Briefing
Daugherty, Linda, Alan Mayberry, Jeff Gilliam http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/dilbit/Daughertyetal072312.pdf





No comments:

Post a Comment