Firm apologizes for big pipeline spill

Oil and gas company Nexen Energy apologized Friday for a pipeline break that spilled about 1.3 million gallons ( five million litres) of a mixture of bitumen, water and sand at its Long Lake oilsands facility in northern Alberta this week.

The company, which was taken over by China's CNOOC Ltd. in 2013, said the affected area is about 172,000 square feet (16,000 square meters) along the pipeline's route.

Nexen said the spill was discovered Wednesday afternoon and it's since been contained. Bailey said Nexen shut down the pipeline as soon as the leak was detected.