Crude extracted from shale deposits shipped across the USA by rail may be more flammable than other types of oil, safety chiefs have warned.
The US Department of Transportation issued a safety alert following a huge explosion from a crude train derailment near Casselton, North Dakota, on Monday, December 30.
This was one of series of explosive accidents involving the crude shipped from North Dakota’s Bakken shale formation.
In July, 47 people were killed in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, when a train carrying Bakken crude derailed.
The US officials said Bakken’s light, sweet crude oil may be different from traditional heavy crudes because it is prone to ignite at a lower temperature, due to a higher content of natural gas.
North Dakota’s oil production currently stands at around 1billion barrels per day, with rail increasingly used for transportation of crude to American coasts.