Enbridge Inc. said it had to shut down and isolate a pipeline at the Regina Terminal in Saskatchewan after a leak from the line within the on-site pumping station was detected, reported and then confirmed by the company.
According to people familiar with the matter, the leak has disrupted supplies from Canada to the US Midwest.
The pipe, which carries 796,000 barrels per day of heavy, medium and light sour crude, connects Edmonton, Alberta, with Superior Wisconsin.
The Calgary-based energy-delivery firm insisted there were no impacts to the public, wildlife or waterways. It added, however, that people living nearby may notice a slight smell.
Enbridge said first responders armed with clean-up and response equipment are currently on-site and will soon complete the cleanup. The company did not specify when it expects oil to be flowing again.
As soon as the leak was confirmed, Enbridge says it shut down the pipeline and pumping station. None of the leaked oil, estimated to be about 1,350 barrels, left the facility, and all regulatory, municipal and provincial officials have been informed, the company added.
The Enbridge Regina terminal supplies oil to the US Midwest.
In a statement, Enbridge said:
“A complete investigation into the incident is being conducted. We are committed to the goal of reaching zero spills and will thoroughly investigate the incident for lessons learned. At this time there is no estimate for the re-start of Line 4. Enbridge has notified shipper clients and will work with them to mitigate any impacts to deliveries.”
The Calgary Herald quoted Andy Lipow, President of Lipow Oil Associates LLC in Houston, who said in a telephone interview:
“If this turns out to be an extended outage, it’s certainly going to impact Canadian oil producers much more than U.S. refiners.”
