Tar Sands Now Coming to Five
SF Bay Area Refineries
Tar Sands Crude Oil is aggressively extracted. That is obvious for
those who know or care. What is generally not well known, is
that Tar Sands Crude Oil must be aggressively refined.
Pollution Stress Index – Includes Population Health Vulnerabilities
NOTE: REAL WORLD PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT - High Pollution Stress in
Richmond, Pittsburg, Antioch and West Oakland. Furthermore, Pittsburg and
Antioch have several large electrical power generating stations.
Tar Sands: The Basics
• Tar sands, also referred to as oil sands, are a combination of clay, sand,
water, and heavy black viscous oil called bitumen. They can be extracted
and processed to separate the bitumen, which is upgraded to synthetic
crude oil and refined to make asphalt, gasoline, and jet fuel.
• Because of its thick consistency (which resembles peanut butter),
bitumen, unlike most conventional crude oils, must be diluted with a
cocktail of other petroleum compounds before it is able to flow through
pumps and tanks or pipelines for transport. This thinner, more fluid
product is called diluted bitumen or dilbit.
• Over the past decade, this resource which was previously uneconomical
due to the high cost of extraction has become profitable as oil prices have
increased and extraction technologies have improved. The world's largest
known deposits of tar sands are located across three deposits in northern
Alberta, Canada.
THE BOREAL FORRESTS OF ALBERTA CANADA, HOME TO NATIVE AMERICANS,
ARE BEING SCRAPED FOR TAR SANDS CRUDE OIL, 2OO FEET DOWN IN AN AREA
THAT WILL APPROACH THE SIZE OF FLORIDA WITHIN A DECADE
Photos by Garth Lenz
Northern Alberta’s oil (ie “Tar) sands are one of the world’s largest known
hydrocarbon deposits, considered second in size to Saudi Arabia
Initial Tar Sands Processing begins in Canada, because Tar sands crude is too
heavy and thick to flow in pipelines.
NOT ALL HYDROCARBONS ARE CREATED EQUAL !
•
Pure hydrogen (H2) can be used for liquid rocket fuel and there is absolutely no
carbon footprint.
•
Natural gas (CH4) methane, has one carbon only, surrounded by 4 hydrogen
atoms. Natural gas is the ideal hydrocarbon fuel, as it has four hydrogen atoms
per carbon and is therefore considered very hydrogen-rich. Yet, it is a nontransportation gaseous fuel, and needs either thick vessels to contain it or
pipelines to transport it.
•
Gasoline, a high-octane hydrocarbon transportation fuel has, within a single
straight chain, 8 carbons on average. It is ideal for U.S cars, having 2.25 hydrogen
atoms per each carbon, on average and so is less hydrogen-rich than natural gas.
Gasoline burns well, but has a large carbon footprint.
•
Longer-chain hydrocarbons, like olive oil, are more viscous than gasoline and can
still burn, as in an ancient olive oil lamp. Axil grease is composed of very long
chain hydrocarbons and also does not burn as well as gasoline.
•
Hydrogen gives lighter hydrocarbons their great energy potential as a fuel.
Conversely, with few hydrogen atoms in an oil and many more carbons, its
viscosity greatly increases and so it flows more slowly.
ASPHALTENE AKA Pitch, Tar, Bitumen.
Asphaltenes are the large,
high molecular weight,
multiple-ringed carbon
molecules in the most highly
viscous, low-quality crude oils
and they have only about
one hydrogen per carbon.
Because asphaltenes stack and
stick together, they can plug
pipes, pave roads and tar
roofs; they cannot make
gasoline or diesel fuel without
very aggressive processing.
Tar-Like Asphaltene Pipe Plug
Heavy Oils have a Large Carbon Footprint
•
•
Table of Fuel Oils
Name
Alias
Carbon Chain Length
•
•
•
•
•
•
No. 1 distillate
No. 2 distillate
No. 3 distillate
No. 4 distillate
No. 5 residual fuel oil
No. 6 residual fuel oil
No. 1 diesel fuel
No. 2 diesel fuel/Trucks/Home heating oil
No. 3 diesel fuel
No. 4 residual fuel oil
Heavy fuel oil/Ship Bunker Oil
Heavy fuel oil/Ship Bunker Oil
Distillate
Distillate
Distillate
Distillate/Residual
Residual
Residual
9-16
10-20
12-70
12-70
20-70
Highly viscous No. 5 and 6 residual fuel oils need to pre-heated to be atomized before burners.
•
•
•
•
•
Burned Fuel
Coal
Natural Gas
Distillate Oil (#2)
Residual Oil
Lbs. CO2 Per kWH
2.08 -2.18
1.22 *
1.68
1.81
Coal and Residual Oil have large
carbon footprints and * unburned
Natural Gas (fugitive Methane),
a very large carbon footprint.
REFINERIES SEPARATE CRUDE AND
TRANSFORM HYDROCARBONS
Simple Distillation Refineries Produce Less Gasoline
and Diesel from Lower Quality/Denser Crude Oils
CRUDE OIL CHARACTERISTICS: YIELDS
DISTILLATION vs REFINERY OUTPUT
TAR SANDS HEAVY CRUDE OIL = DENSE
and LIKE CALIFORNIA CRUDE, HARD TO REFINE
• Much of California’s current petroleum output is
categorized as heavy or extra-heavy oil, meaning it is
more viscous and requires more energy and time to
refine into fuel than lighter grades of crude. In many
ways, it is similar to the thick “bitumen” petroleum
that comprises Alberta’s tar sands.
• All heavy and extra-heavy grades require a variety of
energy-intensive methods to liquefy, extract from the
ground, and refine into gasoline, diesel and other
transportation fuels.
Tar Sands Large GHG Footprint
• Tar sands crude oil requires "aggressive" refining
in order to break up large molecules and remove
sulfur, ie, high-temperature “coking” units and
“hydrocracking” units that use massive amounts
of hydrogen gas produced on-site.
• In order to make into gasoline, Tar sands refining
produces 2-to-3 times the greenhouse gasses
(Carbon Dioxide, ie, CO2) than when refining
typical traditional U.S. crude.
The Dirty Hydrogen Economy =
Aggressive Crude Oil Refining
• The high temperature and very high pressure process called
“Methane Steam Reforming” of natural gas (aka methane/CH4)
is used to strip off the four hydrogen atoms from methane for
use in the refineries hydro-cracking and hydro-treating units.
• For “hydro-cracking”, pure hydrogen under great pressure can
take a heavy, long-chain hydrocarbon, such as one with 16
carbons and split it into two 8-carbon chain hydrocarbons, such
as highly valued, high octane gasoline.
• For “hydro-desulfidation”, hydrogen can also remove sulfur
from gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
Low Quality Crudes Need Aggressive Processing
)
IMPORTANT: Aggressive processing adds hydrogen to split or crack very large
hydrocarbons, aka hydrocracking and also to remove carbon, by high temperature
coking from “bottom-of-the-barrel” heavy residual oils, producing a solid carbon-rich
product.
Massive
Refinery
Emissions
Increaserefinery
if
95%
confidence
of prediction
for average
CO2
Switchedfrom
to Tar
Sands Bitumen
Crude oils
emissions
a complete
switch to low–quality
(a) US avg. 1999–20081 (b) California avg. 2004–20092
(c) Shell Martinez 20082 (d) Prediction for switch to average heavy oil1
(e) Prediction for switch to average tar sands bitumen1
WWW.CBECAL.ORG
42
Coker Units for processing cheaper “Bottom-of-the-Barrel” Crude Oil
Petroleum Coke, AKA PetCoke, is the coal-like residuum at the bottom of the coker
unit, that is mostly too dirty to be burned in the U.S. and so is shipped to China and
India for power, steel and cement plants. Cokers remove carbon as PetCoke residue.
A Coker Unit refines the “Bottom-of-the Barrel” low-quality crude at very high temperature,
ie, 500 degrees C. Coking defines aggressive processing and activates sulfur corrosion…
2012 RICHMOND (CA) REFINERY FIRE
August 3rd, 15,000 people went to the ER
ISAIAH 34.9: And the streams of [Edom] shall be turned into pitch, and the dust
thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Pollution Stress Index – Includes Population Health Vulnerabilities
NOTE: REAL WORLD PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT - High Pollution Stress in
Richmond, Pittsburg, Antioch and West Oakland. Furthermore, Pittsburg and
Antioch have several large electrical power generating stations.
The Dirty Hydrogen Economy =
Aggressive Crude Oil Refining
•
The Richmond Chevron Hydrogen Renewal Project would complete construction
and make operational the Hydrogen Plant Replacement and Hydrogen Purity
(sulfur removal) Improvement of the Original Project.
•
Air Products Local Area Pipeline Network Project: Air Products and Chemicals Inc.
(Air Products) owns and operates a hydrogen plant located within the Shell
Martinez Refinery.
•
Praxair Contra Costa Pipeline Project: proposed to develop an approximately
21.3-mile hydrogen pipeline from the Chevron Richmond Refinery to the Shell
Martinez Refinery. This pipeline would include a 1.1-mile lateral pipeline
extension to the ConocoPhillips (now called Phillips 66) Refinery in Rodeo,
California. Hydrogen pipeline and related project blocked by lawsuit from
Communities for a Better Environment, CBE.
Conoco-Phillips Rodeo Refinery
• ConocoPhillips Canada has a leading land position in Alberta’s Tar
(ie. Oil) Sands.
• Greg Maxwell, Phillips 66 executive vice president of finance and
CFO noted that they are the “largest importer of Canadian crudes
[ie, Tar Sands] into the United States”.
• Maxwell also announced the addition of 2000 new railroad tanker
cars to bring financially advantaged (inexpensive, low quality)
crudes to their domestic refineries and they increased their socalled advantage crude runs at their refineries in 2011 from 52%
to 68% in the first quarter 2013, further stating: “ our plan to be
able to run 100% advantaged crudes within the next few years”.
Phillips 66 Local Tar Sands Expansion Projects
•
Phillips 66’s so-called “clean fuels expansion project” (CFEP), now completed,
was designed to make 35 percent more gasoline and 21.5 percent more
diesel and jet fuel from a vastly increased input of lower quality crude oil
feedstock.
•
Phillips 66 proposed “Propane Expansion Project”, will switch refinery
operations to currently inexpensive natural gas, and recover the propane,
formerly used as a refinery fuel gas (to operate refinery), for sale.
•
After the propane recovery project completion, Phillips 66 refinery total
output will increase another 11.4 percent.
•
NOTE: Increased propane production requires an expansion of coking, that
produces 3 times more propane than less aggressive crude distillation and
essentially “locks” refinery production into lower quality feedstock, such as
Tar Sands.
Refineries’ Collateral Damage
•
Each of the refineries’ massive increase, in natural gas usage, hydrogen
production and overall energy usage required for refining Tar Sands also
locks-in the refineries’ use of frequently fracked natural gas, further
compounding environmental degradation. Fracking for NG also releases
massive amounts of fugitive methane, a GHG 20-50 times more powerful a
GHG than CO2.
•
Phillips 66’s propane project will require six large pressurized 2,500 barrels
(42 gallons per barrel) to store propane and will be placed within a
liquifaction/seismic zone. Liquid propane is to be transported to market by
railroad tanker cars through numerous communities.
•
CBE is representing the Rodeo-Crocket communities in challenging the
propane project. One of the dangers of pressurized propane storage is
Boiling Liquid Evaporative Vapor Explosion or BLEVE.
•
Local schools and homes would be within the blast radius of these
pressurized propane tanks.
Wall Street Mega-Bank Behind TransCanada KXL Pipeline
• The Wall Street Mega-Bank, Citigroup, raised more than $5.8 billion for
TransCanada Pipeline development to deliver Canadian Tar Sands crude
to United States refineries.
• Michael Froman, former CITI CEO and General Manager, is now the top
U.S. Trade Official. He is lobbying aggressively for the European Union to
accept U.S. Tar Sands Oil products over EU objections.
• Tar Sands products are currently prohibited by EU law that places a limit
on the import of high carbon-footprint diesel fuel from low-quality
crudes, like Tar Sands crude.
• AN ADDITIONAL LOCAL AND REGIONAL CONCERN: There are currently
plans for a TransCanada Alberta-California pipeline.
Note Proposed TransCanada Pipeline to CA
Tar Sands
Crude Oil
Shipped to CA
Refineries
Benicia Valero Tar Sands-by-Rail Project
PHASE 1: VALERO IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (Completed):
• “Provide ability to process lower grades of raw materials” (Need more
hydogen)
• “Construction of the proposed Air Liquide Hydrogen Pipeline or Air
Products Hydrogen Pipeline”
• Optimize operations for efficient production of clean burning fuels. (Need
more hydrogen to remove sulfur and make more gasoline)
REMEMBER: More refinery hydrogen production requires more local energy
production and natural gas input.
Moreover, Coking requires a massive amount of heat (~500 degrees C/900
degrees F), that yields more GHG production than tradition crude oil
distillation.
PHASE 2: The proposed Benicia Valero Crude-by-Rail Project (not mentioned
in Phase 1 EIR).
Aggressive Refining in the Bay Area
Valero stated: “If heavy crude oil prices are not discounted as expected, less
heavy crude will be purchased and some of the Coker Expansion facilities
may be deferred”.
TRANSLATION: They want inexpensive crude, that by nature, is low quality
and requires coking.
WesPac Petroleum Storage Depot
•
PROPOSED: PITTSBURG WesPac Energy Infrastructure Project (aka Petroleum
Tank Storage Depot) will have a 242,000 Barrel per day throughput by railroad
and marine tankers, that is over 25 percent of Bay Area refining capacity.
•
CRUDE INPUT is by railroad tank cars and ship. OUTPUT is by 42 mile long
Pipeline to all four Contra Costa refineries and ending at the Richmond Chevron
refinery.
•
THE WesPac Depot Project will critically enable the massively increased delivery
to the Bay Area of Canadian Tar Sands crude and the local refining of this
outrageously low-quality crude.
•
Like refineries, the WesPac Depot would be adjacent to low income and minority
communities, schools and churches.
Our Concerns over Tar Sands
• CONCERNS: Local, Regional and Global.
• CONCERNS: Environmental Justice (local, ie,
poor, minorities and indigenous
communities) “OR” Climate Change (regional
and global).
• Are local versus global environmental
concerns “either/or” issues
Opposing Tar Sands Exploitation
•
What way can Tar Sands stopped being extracted?
•
What way can Tar Sands stopped being refined locally?
•
Tar Sands crude must first be transported to refineries. What can be done?
•
REMEMBER: Refineries typically require “upgrading” projects to be able to refine high-sulfur
Tar Sands crude, particularly expansion of hydrogen production and more high-temperature
coker units.
• What types of action can we locally bring to play to stop Tar Sands
from becoming crude oil products? 1) Local political constituency
objections to projects’ EIRs (local communities frequently need
technical help from environmental non-profit scientists, ie CBE and
NRDC). 2) Electoral pressure on elected politicians, particularly
Democrats. 3) Protests, in streets and in meetings. 4) Non-Violent
Civil Disobedience.
No Tar Sands Crude Extraction!!!
No Dirty Energy !!!
BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT RESOLUTION
Currently proposed 350 Bay Area Resolution to lead the Development of a Regional
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Plan
WHEREAS, total Bay Area GHG emissions exceed those of many developed countries,
such as Portugal, Ireland, Israel, Denmark, and Sweden; and
WHEREAS, [consistent with the Executive Order S-3-05, signed by Governor
Schwarzenegger and reaffirmed by Governor Brown,] the Bay Area Air Quality
Management District's 2010 Clean Air Plan set performance objectives to “Reduce
emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to 1990 levels by 2020 and 40% below 1990
levels by 2035”; and
WHEREAS, the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara have already
endorsed the [executive] orders’ 2050 goal as stated above;
WHEREAS, the federal Clean Air Act and California Health & Safety Code
§39002 establish that the BAAQMD has primary authority to regulate nonvehicular [i.e., stationary, e.g., petroleum refineries] sources of air pollution,
including GHGs, and to enact more stringent requirements than federal or
State law;
Development of a Regional Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Plan (Cont.)
Therefore: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Plan
builds on its existing Climate Protection Program to include the
following emission reduction strategies for non-vehicular sources:
• Deep energy efficiency improvements,
• Decarbonization of regional electricity supply, and
• Increased electrification of existing fossil fuel uses; and to include
the following Program Elements:
• A scoping document to identify GHG emissions for which the
District (BAAQMD) is the primary regulatory authority,
• An Enhanced Regional GHG Emission Inventory and periodic
updates to forecast emissions and document the effectiveness of
regional, state and federal GHG emission reduction efforts,
The Photo-Voltaic Electrical Generation Surge:
The national average price of an installed PV system declined by 26.6 percent in 2012
and about 75 percent since 2008.
Two-thirds of all distributed solar PV capacity in the U.S. has been deployed in the
last 2 1/2 years.
$
Decreased Cost of Electric Car Batteries: 2008-2012
$
The Dept. of Energy (DOE) reports that the cost of manufacturing an EV
(Electric Vehicle) battery has dropped by 50 percent since 2008.
Deployment and Cost of U.S. Land-Based Wind Power
1980
1990
2000
2010
The cost of electricity from wind has fallen to around 5 cents per kilowatt-hour -a 90 percent drop since the 1980s. In 2012, wind was the single largest source of
new electricity capacity in the U.S., beating even natural gas.
For our Children and the Planet…
• Sunflower Coalition 2013 - 8:3 “…and their
righteous indignation shall be raised to a
burning pitch.”