WorldWide Drilling Resource

Pipeline vs Railway Adapted from a Press Release by the University of Alberta According to a recent University of Alberta study, pipelines are more environmentally friendly than rail when hauling oil long distances. One researcher went so far as to say it is probably the best way to export Alberta’s oil. Researchers in the Faculty of Engineering compared energy consumption in the construction and operation for both methods and discovered pipeline transportation produced between 61-77% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than transporting by rail. Professor Amit Kumar with the University’s department of mechanical engineering, and lead author on the study said, “There’s not a lot of information out there based on fundamental science looking at all aspects of pipeline transportation, but we looked at all the aspects.” The findings come in the wake of federal approval for the contested Trans Mountain pipeline and for Enbridge’s Line 3. If constructed, the pipel ines wi l l pump nearly a million more barrels of oil a day from Alberta’s oil sands to global markets. With those volumes, pipelines would be the lower emission option. “If you’re look- ing at shorter transportation distances and smaller capacities, rail is probably more efficient, but most of the crude and bitumen exported from Alberta goes to U.S. refineries, which are long distances and at a large scale,” Kumar said. The Trans Mountain pipeline is over 700 miles long and capable of pumping up to 890,000 barrels per day. “If we have to choose how we get Alberta oil to mar- kets, pipelines are the way to go because of the lower greenhouse gas emission footprint. When you are looking at longer distances, you have to be energy-efficient, and a pipeline can transport much more oil than a railroad can.” Researchers used computer modeling to run scenarios for both rail and pipeline transport of bitumen and crude oil over a wide range of capacities and distances, while evaluating its energy use, as well as greenhouse gas emissions for each mode of transportation. “We looked at the whole system over the life cycle,” said Kumar. “We looked at how much energy is put into manufacturing equipment and components of the pipeline, and how much energy is needed to transport a barrel of bitumen. We took it all into account and estimated the greenhouse gas emissions over that life cycle.” The same concept was applied to construction and operation of railroad track, tankers, and locomotives. Ultimately, it was determined for amounts over 50,000 barrels of bitumen per day, the pipeline mode proved to be more efficient per unit. Kumar also suggested greenhouse gas emissions from pipelines can be further reduced if they are pumped using hydroelectric power, which is already being used by some Canadian provinces including British Columbia and Quebec. 42 SEPTEMBER 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®