Husky mulls new pipelines to replace line from ’16 leak

The company behind the 2016 oil spill that fouled the North Saskatchewan River and threatened the water supply of Prince Albert and other communities wants to build new pipelines to replace the structure that leaked.

Husky Energy held an open house Wednesday in Prince Albert to discuss its proposal.

The Calgary-based company says its plan calls for the construction of two new pipelines to transport blended crude and condensate to Lloydminster from across the river.

The pipelines would be located in the rural municipalities of Britannia, Eldon and Frenchman Butte.

Travis Davies, a Husky Energy spokesman, said the new line would be bored in higher from the shore at the hilltops on each side to minimize the risk of ground shifting.

He said Husky has also improved its operating procedures to ensure problems are reported quickly.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why we’re here,” Davies said.

“We’re obviously quite a way downstream, but we are looking back to the impact we caused on the city at that point, and we want to talk about the things we’re doing differently.”

The Husky spill caused more than 225,000 litres of diluted heavy oil to leak. About 40 per cent of it went into the river near Maidstone.

The company paid $5 million to the Prince Albert for costs related to the spill. It was also charged with violating provincial and federal environmental laws. Court proceedings in the case are ongoing.

Husky has since apologized and said it accepts full responsibility.

More public consultation is planned on the project, but Davies said Husky hopes to start construction of the new pipeline in the fall. Once construction gets underway, the project should take 10 to 12 months to complete.