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TRB Special Report 311: Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines (2013) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Pages 1-3

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From page 1...
... To inform its review of the former, the U.S. Department of Transportation asked the National Research Council to convene an expert committee to study whether shipments of diluted bitumen differ sufficiently from shipments of other crude oils in such a way as to increase the likelihood of releases from transmission pipelines.
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From page 2...
... The committee reviewed pipeline incident statistics and investigations; examined data on the chemical and physical properties of shipments of diluted bitumen and other crude oils; reviewed the technical literature; consulted experts in pipeline corrosion, cracking, and other causes of releases; and queried pipeline operators about their experience in transporting diluted bitumen. The review of incident data revealed the ways in which transmission pipelines fail.
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From page 3...
... The organic acids in diluted bitumen are not corrosive to steel at pipeline operating temperatures. Diluted bitumen does not have properties that make it more likely than other crude oils to cause damage to transmission pipelines from external corrosion and cracking or from mechanical forces.
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Key Terms

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  • transporting diluted
  • transmission pipelines
  • transport diluted
  • pipeline operators

  • operating temperatures
  • pipelines transport
  • findings diluted
  • crude oil
  • transmission pipeline

  • similar density
  • pipeline failure
  • incident statistics
  • organic acids
  • increased propensity

  • specific findings
  • pipelines transporting
  • pipeline releases
  • reviewed pipeline
  • control capabilities

  • cause mechanical
  • mechanical forces
  • internal corrosion
  • pipeline shipments
  • study charge

  • pipeline incident
  • influenced corrosion
  • inadvertently increase
  • corrosion control
  • expert committee


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