CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post Reply
User avatar
coffeeFreak
Guru
Posts: 5303
Joined: Oct 22nd, 2009, 6:06 pm

CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by coffeeFreak »

What a great idea!

“CanaPux” – converting crude oil to solid pellets touted by CN

canapux630.jpg

This Globe and Mail photo by Michelle Sui shows what a CanaPux of bitumen would look like.
— Photo: Michelle Sui/Globe and Mail newspaper


Will CanaPux help transport oil sands bitumen safely to market by rail? It sounds like CN Rail is betting on the new technology to be a safe alternative to shipping oil in crude liquid form.

According to the Globe and Mail newspaper, CN, Canada’s largest railway has filed a patent application for a new technology that turns bitumen—the heavy crude produced at the oil sands—into a mostly solid dry good, by mixing and wrapping it with polymer. Then in the event of an accident, the packets would not explode, leak, or sink in water, the railway believes.

The newspaper report further explained, “Once the pellets reach a refinery, heating separates the bitumen and polymer mixture, along with their polymer casing. The tablets are also designed to absorb the weight of being stacked on each other.”

“It has to handle a lot of different forces,” said James Auld, senior manager of corporate development at CN, told the Globe and Mail in the interview.

“Crude-oil shipments by rail rose sharply six years ago, driven by a lack of pipeline space in North America. The increase was spurred by rising petroleum production in new oil fields that lacked pipelines, particularly the Bakken Formation that touches parts of North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan and Manitoba," reported the newspaper.

“If spilled into the ocean, the buoyant pellets—dubbed CanaPux—can be retrieved by vacuuming them up. On land, they can be picked up by hand, or with machinery, CN added in the article.”

http://www.miningandenergy.ca/energyinsider/article/canapux_converting_crude_oil_to_solid_pellets_touted_by_cn/
User avatar
Jflem1983
Guru
Posts: 5785
Joined: Aug 23rd, 2015, 11:38 am

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by Jflem1983 »

Ya i remember seeing this prohect on the Edmonton news ages ago. Nice to see CN involved now. I think it started as a U of A program
Now they want to take our guns away . That would be just fine. Take em away from the criminals first . Ill gladly give u mine. "Charlie Daniels"

You have got to stand for something . Or you will fall for anything "Aaron Tippin"
christopher
Board Meister
Posts: 438
Joined: Jun 9th, 2016, 10:10 pm

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by christopher »

Jflem1983 wrote:Ya i remember seeing this prohect on the Edmonton news ages ago. Nice to see CN involved now. I think it started as a U of A program

May be sum of that carbon tax money/ gas tax money could go to doing this?
Veovis
Guru
Posts: 7548
Joined: Apr 19th, 2007, 3:11 pm

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by Veovis »

Concept to viable option however can be years if not decades.

On the surface it certainly looks like something that should be investigated fully.
User avatar
CapitalB
Generalissimo Postalot
Posts: 846
Joined: Nov 14th, 2017, 11:27 am

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by CapitalB »

This is a pretty cool thing, could really help reduce the loss of petroleum in an incident. Though I could see the added expense being a bit of an issue for the oil industry. They could divert some of their bribe money to that though ;) I kid I kid..
So much of the violent push-back on everything progressive and reformist comes down to: I can see the future, and in this future I am not the centre of the universe and master of all that I survey, therefore this future must be resisted at all costs.
Bigjohn69
Fledgling
Posts: 299
Joined: Feb 6th, 2018, 11:38 am

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by Bigjohn69 »

It is what should happen as it will eliminate most enviro concerns
rustled
Admiral HMS Castanet
Posts: 25209
Joined: Dec 26th, 2010, 12:47 pm

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by rustled »

I wonder what kind of polymer, and what the processes of creating and "releasing" involve? It looks promising, but as always we want to be sure the process (cradle-to-grave) isn't counterproductive. (And I think we still want to reduce our reliance on trains here in B.C., since so many of the rail lines run along rivers. It's not just the cargo that causes problems when there's a derailment into one of our waterways.)
There is nothing more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. - Martin Luther King Jr.
Veovis
Guru
Posts: 7548
Joined: Apr 19th, 2007, 3:11 pm

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by Veovis »

If it costs $45,000 to make each pellet then it is clearly a non-viable option. However should it become viable, this is absolutely how it should be done.
Jack DeBear
Board Meister
Posts: 489
Joined: Feb 19th, 2018, 10:02 am

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by Jack DeBear »

I think they should mold ‘em as buoyant yellow rubber duckiest, stamp 'em with a CN logo, and dump ‘em into the Fraser headwaters to float down to Vancouver.



Could a Humane Society’s enthusiasm like this catch on with the Environmentalists?
User avatar
Bsuds
The Wagon Master
Posts: 54926
Joined: Apr 21st, 2005, 10:46 am

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by Bsuds »

Veovis wrote:If it costs $45,000 to make each pellet then it is clearly a non-viable option. However should it become viable, this is absolutely how it should be done.


This process claims to be cheap.

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News ... Safer.html
So I saw a bumper sticker today that said, I'm a Veterinarian so I drive like an animal.
I suddenly realised how many Proctologists are on the road!
rustled
Admiral HMS Castanet
Posts: 25209
Joined: Dec 26th, 2010, 12:47 pm

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by rustled »

Bsuds wrote:
Veovis wrote:If it costs $45,000 to make each pellet then it is clearly a non-viable option. However should it become viable, this is absolutely how it should be done.


This process claims to be cheap.

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News ... Safer.html

Intriguing.
There is nothing more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. - Martin Luther King Jr.
Veovis
Guru
Posts: 7548
Joined: Apr 19th, 2007, 3:11 pm

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by Veovis »

Bsuds wrote:This process claims to be cheap.

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News ... Safer.html


"claims" is always the issue. NOw add in volume transported by train/truck vs pipeline, etc etc etc.

Don't get me wrong Bsuds, absolutely would love to see this tech be utilised if it can, it's cool and safer.
Jhunter199
Fledgling
Posts: 293
Joined: Apr 18th, 2013, 10:11 pm

Re: CN converting crude oil to solid pellets

Post by Jhunter199 »

An interesting idea for sure. I think we are still a ways from seeing something like this implemented, but could be a viable future option.
Post Reply

Return to “Canada”