Pipeline may have been leaking oil for 14 hours
‘Anomalies’ detected July 20 but system not shut down until July 21
Oil may have been leaking into the North Saskatchewan River for 14 hours before Husky Energy shut off the supply.
A report the company submitted to the provincial Ministry of Economy indicates a “pipeline release” was discovered on the south shore of the river around 8 p.m. on July 20. Husky Energy crews did not shut down that pipeline until around 10 a.m. July 21.
In a statement published online, the company said “pressure anomalies” were detected on the pipeline monitoring system late on July 20 and crews were dispatched to the area, but did not detect a spill. Workers then made plans to fly over the length of the pipeline and initiate a safe shutdown the following morning, according to the statement.
When reports of an oil sheen on the river were received Thursday, Husky Energy initiated its emergency response plan.
Company spokesperson Al Pate, who is heading up the response to the spill, said it’s too early to tell if the leak began Wednesday night when those pressure variances were detected.
“There will be a very full and comprehensive investigation that will deal with timing and those issues, but right now we are focused on response,” he told reporters during a teleconference on Tuesday.
Federal enforcement officers have opened their own investigation into the incident and are looking into whether Husky Energy violated the Fisheries Act or Migratory Birds Convention Act.
The failed pipe — which is believed to have released about 200,000 litres of oil into the river near Maidstone — was last inspected in early 2015, but was subject to monthly checks and tests since then, according to the provincial Ministry of Economy. Those included visual inspections and inserting devices into it to get readings on its integrity.
On Monday, provincial government officials said funding was cut this year to the field offices tasked with enforcing oil and gas development in Saskatchewan. On Tuesday, they said that was not the case.
Instead, the offices were reorganized so they could put a sharper focus on regulation, said Laurie Pushor, deputy minister of the Ministry of the Economy.
“We’re very pleased with that change; we’ve got a fully staffed division,” Pushor said.
Cleanup of the spill continues, with Husky Energy pledging to cover all costs of remediation — a process Pate said will take “some time.”
Meanwhile, the cities of North Battleford, Prince Albert and Melfort, which rely on water from the North Saskatchewan River, have shut off intake into their water treatment plants and are telling residents and businesses to conserve water. Many rural areas relying on alternate water sources are under precautionary boil water advisories.
The provincial Ministry of Health has warned that people and animals need to stay out of the river and no one should consume fish caught in it. The bodies of four birds, three fish and a frog have been removed from the spill site. Wildlife rehabilitators in Maidstone are treating two oil-soaked birds and an oily garter snake.
Premier Brad Wall, a vocal supporter of pipelines, is expected to speak to media about the spill this morning in Regina.