Letter to the editor: Oil pre-refinery

Their view is to shut down the rail oil tank car traffic in the Columbia Gorge corridor, without seeking alternatives. I am offering a solution that can resolve safety concerns.

The Bakken crude oil is too volatile for rail transport because the high gas content emulsion. This problem can be solved by building a pre-refinery in the Bakken oil producing region (U.S. or Canada).

Pre-refine all the crude oil by extracting the natural gas, dewater the gas and then liquefy this to LPG.

Ship the LPG to points of need. Then ship the less volatile crude oil to the respective refineries for final refining. Doing this will heighten the viscosity, therefore reduce the explosion potential.

The pre-refinery construction cost is slight, therefore, worthwhile to build. The decline of fiery explosions will help pay for the pre-refinery construction.

We cannot just complain, but we must be willing to follow up and resolve problems which will benefit the whole society. People and nations are dependent on this commodity.

I have suggested this resolution proposal to ODOT in the recent past, but received no response from them.

Rudy Niederer

Troutdale