Debunking the Myths about Diluted Bitumen
New study by the National Academy of Sciences confirms oil sands crudes are no more hazardous to transport than other oil grades
Diluted Bitumen – Manufactured Myth Deconstructed
This week, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) added to the growing body of research dispelling the unsubstantiated claims that diluted bitumen is more corrosive or more risky to transport than any other type of crude oil. The report was commissioned by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“The public has been bombarded with misinformation about the oil that will go through the Keystone XL Pipeline, but this latest study by the highly credible National Academy of Sciences has confirmed that oil is oil and the pipelines we build will safely move different blends — as we have been doing for decades,” says Vern Meier, TransCanada’s vice-president, pipeline safety and compliance.
TransCanada has always maintained that diluted bitumen is and always has been safe to transport. The United States has been safely importing increasing amounts of diluted bitumen from Canada for more than 40 years. We are glad to see that the erroneous claims from certain groups can be put to rest and we can allow the science to speak for itself. Read more about the NAS stdy released this week on our blog.
