Enbridge restarts oil pipeline after Canadian release - UPI.com

 

CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Canadian energy company Enbridge said it restarted an oil pipeline that feeds U.S. Midwest markets from Alberta after an earlier release of 1,350 barrels.

Enbridge closed its Line 4 pipeline after the release was discovered late Tuesday. The pipeline carries an average 796,000 barrels of oil sourced from Alberta to a terminal point in Wisconsin.

The company said the National Energy Board was site and cleared the company to restart the pipeline.

"All free product has been recovered and more detailed clean-up work on site will continue into next week," the company said in a Thursday statement.

When issuing its notification of the release, the company said there were no environmental or public health concerns as the spill was limited to an on-site pumping station.

The NEB confirmed in a separate statement the release was contained to the immediate site.

"There were no injuries, no fire, no nearby residences and no threat to public safety," the regulator said.

The company's safety record is under close scrutiny in the wake of a spill from its Line 6b in southern Michigan in 2010, the largest inland release of its kind in the history of the industry. The nature of the heavier grade of Canadian crude oil caused it to sink in regional waters, making clean-up operations lengthy and complex.

A "pinhole" leak was discovered earlier this week on an Enbridge pipeline in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, though no spill was associated with the incident.

Enbridge restarts oil pipeline after Canadian release - UPI.com

Enbridge shuts oil pipeline in Saskatchewan after release - UPI.com

 

CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Canadian pipeline company Enbridge said it shut down a pipeline in Saskatchewan after more than 1,000 barrels of oil were spilled.

Enbridge closed its Line 4 pipeline after the release was discovered late Tuesday. The company said there were no environmental or public health concerns as the spill was limited to an on-site pumping station.

"Nearby residents and businesses may detect a faint odor," the company said in a statement Wednesday. "Air monitoring is being conducted and levels are well within safety limits."

Enbridge Line 4 carries an average 796,000 barrels of oil sourced from Alberta to a terminal point in Wisconsin. The company said it notified its clients of the pipeline's closure, but had no estimate for a return-to-service date.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said Tuesday a "pinhole" leak was discovered on the company's pipeline network in the state's Upper Peninsula. There was no resultant contamination, though the discovery sparked regional concerns about pipeline integrity.

Schuette is a member of a pipeline monitoring task force in the state, which he said continues its "exhaustive review of the safety of petroleum pipelines in Michigan, and to implement every possible safety precaution to protect the ecology and the economy of the Great Lakes."

An Enbridge spill from its Line 6b in southern Michigan in 2010 was the largest inland spill of its kind. A new Enbridge pipeline through Minnesota, Sandpiper, is slated to carry oil from the Bakken reserve area in North Dakota in 2017, a year later than expected.

Sandpiper would ship up to 225,000 bpd through Minnesota. It would then transfer oil to other pipelines for delivery to the U.S. and Canadian refinery markets.

Minnesota regulators in September called on Enbridge to study the environmental issues surrounding six alternative routes through the state proposed by outside groups.

Enbridge said it was undergoing a thorough investigation into the release from Line 4.

"We are committed to the goal of reaching zero spills and will thoroughly investigate the incident for lessons learned," the company

Enbridge shuts oil pipeline in Saskatchewan after release - UPI.com

Enbridge Leak Fixed With No Environmental Damage In Michigan's Upper Peninsula | WEMU

 

State officials are reporting what they say is a small natural gas leak in a pipeline in the Upper Peninsula that’s owned by Enbridge Energy.

Brad Wurfel of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says the leak near Manistique was discovered, reported, and fixed by Enbridge. He says there was a small amount of liquid natural gas
released, but it quickly evaporated.

“The good news is there’s no lingering environmental damage to discuss with this incident,” he said.

Enbridge Line 5 is 645 miles long and runs from Superior, Wisconsin, across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and under the Straits of Mackinac to the Lower Peninsula, where it runs to Sarnia Ontario. Environmental
groups have targeted the 60-year-old pipeline for criticism, especially the portion that runs under the Straits of Mackinac.

“Enbridge Line 5 carries oil products over many sensitive areas of Michigan and it deserves an environmental review to protect the Great Lakes,” says David Holtz of the Sierra Club.

The DEQ’s Brad Wurfel says the leak near Manistique is not a signal there are potential problems with the underwater portions of the pipeline.

He says the above-ground and below-water portions of the line are built very differently. He says, unlike the above-ground pipes, the pipes under the straits don’t have welded seams.

“The reason this pipeline had a leak, as I understand it, is it there was a leak in a weld seam. There aren’t weld seams in the segment that runs under the lake. So it’s kind of apples to oranges from a regulatory perspective.”

Wurfel says the underwater pipes are welded where the sections are joined.

A state commission is looking into the safety of the Enbridge pipeline. Environmental groups say it should be subjected to a full review by state and federal authorities.

Enbridge Leak Fixed With No Environmental Damage In Michigan's Upper Peninsula | WEMU