This is the headline: Bakken oil carries high combustion risk. It begins:
Crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken Shale formation contains several times the combustible gases as oil from elsewhere, a Wall Street Journal analysis found, raising new questions about the safety of shipping such crude by rail across the U.S. Federal investigators are trying to determine whether such vapors are responsible for recent extraordinary explosions of oil-filled railcars, including one that killed several dozen people in Canada last summer.
The rapid growth of North Dakota crude-oil production—most of it carried by rail—has been at the heart of the U.S. energy boom. The volatility of the crude, however, raises concerns that more dangerous cargo is moving through the U.S. than previously believed.One might want to check out the volatility of propane (about the same as Bakken crude oil).
It is my understanding that almost all imported propane is moved by rail. I don't know how much propane is moved by rail these days. I also don't now how much propane is imported these days. I will use my traveling as an excuse not to go any farther into this discussion. I assume there are more hazardous chemicals shipped by rail with a higher volatility than Bakken crude oil. Fortunately the government is on top of this.
Disclaimer: this is all beyond my comfort level; I know nothing about the Reid Vapor Pressure index, so perhaps I will just leave it here and readers can do their own research. Meanwhile, back to the highway.