North Dakota Fuel Does Not Need Special Handling

Despite some fiery mishaps involving fuel from North Dakota's Bakken energy patch, cargo from the region does not need special handling when it moves on the tracks, the leading voice for U.S. refiners said on Wednesday.

The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), the trade group for the country's refiners, funded a third-party study of Bakken fuel that concludes the product is being handled properly.

"Bakken crude is as safe to transport as other crude oils and is well within the safety standards for current rail car designs," said Charles Drevna, the president of the trade group.

Some Bakken fuel samples were found to carry a large component of flammable gas but not so much that special handling is required under the rules, he said.

AFPM funded the study to address regulatory concerns in the wake of several fiery mishaps where Bakken crude exploded with surprising force.

(Reporting By Patrick Rucker; Editing by Sandra Maler)