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Keystone Pipeline Operator Ordered to Implement Corrective Measures Following Major Oil Spill
Federal authorities have mandated corrective actions from the operator of the Keystone Pipeline after a significant rupture resulted in the spillage of over 556,000 litres of oil onto agricultural land in North Dakota earlier this week.
The Calgary-based operator, South Bow, has indicated its objective to recommence deliveries to refineries within the upcoming days.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) instructed South Bow to send the segment of the pipeline where the failure occurred to a third-party laboratory for both mechanical and metallurgical analysis.
Additionally, the company is required to perform and submit a root cause analysis concerning the failure that occurred on Tuesday. It must also review all in-line inspection reports from the last decade to uncover any potential anomalies in the compromised pipe, the adjacent joints, or any other parts of the system, as outlined by the agency.
“PHMSA has secured the operator’s complete cooperation and a written commitment to take all necessary measures to repair the pipeline and ascertain the failure’s cause,” stated Ben Kochman, the acting administrator, in the announcement. “PHMSA has multiple investigators on-site in North Dakota and at the operator’s control room in Calgary, working diligently to identify the cause of the incident.”
Furthermore, the directive includes an examination of the pipeline’s special permit, which permits the line to function at elevated pressures, to assess whether any new or revised conditions are warranted.
The investigation into the cause of the spill, which occurred along the Keystone Pipeline near Fort Ransom, ND—approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Fargo—is ongoing. An estimated 3,500 barrels, equating to 556,455 litres of crude oil, have leaked from the underground pipeline.
Operations for the affected section cannot recommence until the U.S. agency provides authorization. South Bow has stated that it plans to restore service and energy deliveries by Tuesday while adhering to the mandated corrective actions.
The response and recovery endeavors are actively continuing, with the company announcing that crews are in the process of preparing to repair and replace the affected section of the pipeline. Crews equipped with vacuum trucks and other cleanup tools are on-site, and efforts are expected to persist throughout the weekend.
In alignment with Canadian energy regulators, South Bow has also indicated that it will restrict operating pressures on the Canadian portions of the Keystone pipeline.
Spanning a distance of 4,327 kilometres from Alberta to refineries located in Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas, the pipeline’s recent spill has led to heightened concerns regarding the potential implications of a prolonged shutdown on energy prices, particularly for gasoline and diesel.
“Our top priority is ensuring the safety of personnel on-site and minimizing risks to the environment,” stated South Bow. “We remain committed to the community surrounding Fort Ransom and will continue cleanup operations until the site is thoroughly remediated.”
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