The high volatility of crude oil

 The high volatility of crude oil

Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) - When most of us think of crude oil, we picture something black, with the consistency of syrup. But a national "watch-dog" group says the oil that exploded near Casselton, is Bakken Crude and more explosive than gasoline.

"People who think this is black molasses type oil. It is anything but.
Not black. Not thick.
Scott Smith/Water Defense: “Highly volatile chemicals usually make up 18 percent of gasoline. From my calculations and data analyzed 30-40 percent are these volatile chemicals.”
Scott Smith of Mark Ruffalo's Water Defense nonprofit flew into Fargo when hearing news of the derailment, fire and explosions.
Smith: “Scares the hell out of me.”
He has been to similar train wrecks in Canada where forty seven died, and Alabama.
All carrying North Dakota Bakken Oil.
Smith: “People were vaporized like Hiroshima.”
Smith makes the argument that the crude oil coming out of the Bakken is laden with volatile chemicals."

Full story