News Release August 30, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PIPELINE AND WELL CONTROL UPDATE - ETHANE STORAGE CAVERN FIRE IN FORT SASKATCHEWAN
Calgary, Alberta (August 30, 2001) Overnight between August 29 and August 30, two Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) pipelines were reactivated that had previously been shut-in for safety reasons at the site of the BP Canada Ft. Saskatchewan ethane storage cavern fire.
The Pembina Pipeline and Co-Ed Pipeline are both now operational. There was no public safety hazard associated with this reactivation. The AEGS (Alberta Ethane Gathering System) Pipeline has remained in operation. A fourth pipeline, the interprovincial Cochin Pipeline remains shut-in, however work is proceeding to safely reactivate this line. The reactivation of these pipelines is alleviating some, but not all of the Alberta petroleum industry's upstream and downstream NGL storage issues resulting from the Ft. Saskatchewan fire.
The Alberta petroleum industry is co-operating in dealing with these NGL storage pressures in a number of ways, all of which are appropriate from a public safety, environmental and resource conservation perspective. Some gas plants are trucking NGL products to alternative storage. Some plants have received permission from major natural gas pipelines to add safe levels of NGL product to specification natural gas streams. Other options include seeking permission from the EUB to re-inject NGLs into producing reservoirs, or into miscible flood schemes.
On the site of the ethane storage cavern fire, the EUB and BP Canada are continuing to explore well control options. Of the two burning wells, one is an ethane product well, one is a brine (salt water) well. A connecting valve between the two wellheads has now been closed, resulting in the fire at the brine wellhead being reduced to a one metre high "lazy" flame. The ethane well fire is also reduced to a three to five metre high "lazy" flame with no smoke. Alberta Environment and BP Canada are monitoring air quality. Results have shown that provincial particulate matter standards at the monitoring stations have not been exceeded.
The City of Fort Saskatchewan and BP Canada have set up a 24 hour information line for local residents to call if they have any questions at (780) 992-6268. Alberta Environment's phone number for air quality concerns is 1-800-222-6514. In addition, a local information centre has been set up in the Best Western Hotel in Ft. Saskatchewan, #402, 10115 88th Avenue. To accommodate working hours, the centre will be open from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. and from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. A Town Hall meeting will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. tonight, August 30, at the Royal Canadian Legion in Ft. Saskatchewan 9964 93 Avenue.
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This news release is available on the EUB Web site at http://www.ercb.ca
For more information, please contact:
Dave Morris, Senior Advisor
EUB Communications
Tel. 403-297-7470
Cell. 403-651-4348
NR 2001-34
