View PDF version

News Release   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ERCB WORKING WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES FOLLOWING SWEET CRUDE OIL PIPELINE LEAK NEAR SUNDRE

Calgary, Alberta (June 16, 2008) The Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) is working closely with emergency services personnel after a sweet crude oil pipeline leak five km north of the town of Sundre.

The leak was discovered at approximately 10:30 p.m. last night at a sweet crude oil pipeline licensed to Pembina Pipelines and running under the Red Deer River. Between 75 and 125 barrels of oil leaked from the pipeline. The leak has been isolated and the flow has stopped from the pipeline. There were no injuries.
Aerial searches are being conducted of the Red Deer River. An oil sheen has been detected on Gleniffer Lake, about 33 km downriver from the incident site. Booms are being deployed on Gleniffer Lake to capture the oil.

All appropriate authorities have been notified.  The Alberta Environment Support and Emergency Response Team and the Alberta Emergency Management Agency have been activated to monitor the spill and direct clean-up.

As is normal practice, the ERCB will conduct an investigation into the incident.

The pipeline failure rate in Alberta was at a record low 2.1 failures per 1000 km of pipeline in 2007, down 30% since 2000 (when there were 3.3 per 1000 km).  There are over 400,000 km of ERCB-regulated pipeline in Alberta.

- 30 -

For more information, please contact:

Davis Sheremata
ERCB Communications
Cell: 403-605-4216

NR2008-12