Do you have any source for your claim that Bakken crude is less volatile than the average for US crude? Let's take a look at this chart, which lists the properties for all the crude oil shipped by pipeline company Enbridge.
The most volatile crude shipped by Enbridge is "Fort Saskatchewan Condensate" at 94 kPA (13.6 psi). Most of the oil is well below that, with some products having an RVP of less than 2 psi. Since volumes are not reported, we can't calculate the average for Enbridge, but it's certainly nowhere near 14.7 psi. And none of this oil is being shipped by rail.
But whether or not Bakken crude is less volatile than the US average is besides the point. The question is whether or not it is safe to ship massive volumes of this product by rail. Most people would be very concerned to know that 100-car trains loaded with gasoline were traveling through their community every day. Yet the Bakken crude is far more volatile than 7.0 psi summer-blend gasoline.
The 14.7 psi figure you keep quoting is, not coincidentally, the sea level atmospheric pressure. It's often quoted by the petroleum industry as being "safe" because crude oil at or below 14.7 psi RVP won't boil when vented to the atmosphere. Assuming, that is, the oil is below 100 degrees F. But it's still going to release a lot of gas if the vessel it's in ruptures. I assume the state of North Dakota specified an 13.7 maximum to provide a little more safety margin in case of an accident in hot weather. But 13.7 psi crude is still more volatile than most winter blend gasoline.
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