Is US oil stocks likely to be mixed with chemicals?
Internal mail messages from the Department of Energy and shipping documents showed that companies that bought crude oil last year from US emergency stockpiles raised concerns about dangerous levels of toxic chemicals in those shipments.
Problems with crude quality would make the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve less useful in emergencies, as refiners will need to spend more money and time in decontamination before fuel production. The US reserve is the world's largest stockpile of 665 million barrels.
Hydrogen sulfide is naturally found in crude and natural gas, but oil producers usually purify these products before delivering the goods to buyers. High levels of hydrogen sulfide can corrode the components of refineries and pipelines, and may be deadly in its gaseous form.
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