The federal government issued a rare safety alert on Thursday, warning that crude oil from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota may be more flammable than other types of crude. The warning comes after two federal agencies spent months inspecting Bakken crude, including oil carried in recent train accidents that resulted in explosions. The latest blast occurred earlier this week in Casselton, N.D., 25 miles west of Fargo. The Transportation Department alert urges shippers to test the oil they transport and, if necessary, strip out gases found in that crude. The Wall Street Journal had reported that investigators and industry officials were alarmed and puzzled by the strength of the explosions that resulted from the train crashes. Crude oil is hard to burn and generally doesn’t explode with such ferocity. The Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration launched “Operation Classification” in August to perform […]