The only way to that Sinclair refinery is to cross tribal land. This will probably shift those loads to the Phillips and BP refineries up in Ferndale.
Imagine a 3200 foot stretch of rail way costing you $400 million because you just couldn’t be bothered to live up to your end of a basic agreement.
Prediction: The tribe will not see a dime and the Supreme Court is going to reverse this 6-3. Exxon waited 30 years to avoid their fine, BNSF can do it in 2.
Roughly, a typical tank car used for crude oil transportation can hold between 20,000 to 70,000 barrels of oil, with some cars capable of carrying up to 100,000 barrels.
Roughly, a unit train carrying 50 barrel cars of crude and assuming a value of $80 per barrel, transportation charge is roughly 12.50 (although it varies). The total gross return, being transported each freight would be:
50 cars x 75,000 barrels x $12 per barrel x 6 day = 270 mil $
So the fine is the cost of doing business, for 40 billion dollar rail. Day after day, year after year for over a decade. Granted, this is part of what keeps gas prices down. North Dakota's shale, tracked into the west coast.
Good for the tribe, but I really wish the fine was higher as a real deterrent.