Achi news desk-
CALGARY – A wildfire in west central Alberta sparked by a ruptured natural gas pipeline is under control, but an investigation into what caused the pipeline to break could take months or even years.
As of Wednesday morning, very little fire activity remained in Yellowhead County, where a 10-hectare fire burned Tuesday about 40 kilometers northwest of Edson.
“But for it to be considered extinguished, we’re going to have to have a hot spot,” said Caroline Charbonneau, area information coordinator with Alberta Forestry and Parks.
“That means we’ll have to dig into the ground, look and feel for hot spots, and then wash it with water. And that could take several days. “
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Tuesday’s fire, which occurred as much of Alberta was dealing with extremely dry early spring conditions, was sparked when a natural gas pipeline owned by TC Energy Corp. ruptured.
There were no injuries, and the fire never posed a threat to any nearby communities. The affected pipeline segment was isolated and shut in and there is no more gas leaking from the pipeline.
The Canadian Energy Regulator had inspectors on site Wednesday to monitor the company’s response and the Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
According to CER, there have been 12 natural gas pipeline ruptures in Canada since 2008, and Tuesday’s incident near Edson was the first rupture on that particular pipeline within that period.
The 36-inch diameter pipe that ruptured is part of TC Energy’s NGTL pipeline system, which transports natural gas from Alberta and northeastern BC to domestic and export markets. The system spans 24,631 kilometers and connects to TC Energy’s Canadian Main Line system, the Foothills system and other third party pipelines.
The NGTL pipeline system is like a web made up of different lines that have been developed in stages.
In 2022, a separate part of the system ruptured leading to an explosion and fire near Fox Creek, Alta. There were no injuries.
A TSB investigation into that incident took more than 14 months, and concluded that the pipeline ruptured due to reduced strength in the pipe wall due to external corrosion.
While the main risk of a crude oil spill from an oil pipeline is an oil spill that damages the local ecosystem, natural gas pipeline ruptures can and do lead to fires or explosions, said Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, a non-profit working in the US. – a profit organization.
“The chances are extremely high that a molecule of natural gas entering a pipe will pass through that pipeline without failure. Pipelines are quite safe, and when you look at incident rates compared to other modes of transport like rail or truck, they are much less likely to have a failure,” Caram said.
“But what you don’t get a sense of when looking at pipeline risks that way is how catastrophic a failure can be when it happens.”
According to the TSB, 19 pipeline-related fires were recorded in Canada between 2012 and 2022.
The TSB’s latest report on pipeline transportation safety in Canada states that in 2022, 100 companies transport either oil or gas or both in the federally regulated pipeline system, which includes approximately 19,950 km of oil pipelines and approximately 48,700 km of natural gas pipelines.
That year, there were 67 pipeline transportation accidents and incidents on federally regulated pipeline systems, according to the report.
That number was well below the 10-year average of 112 incidents, and was also the lowest number of incidents since 2019, when 52 pipeline accidents or incidents were recorded by the TSB.
The TSB defines a pipeline “accident” as an event that results in the injury or death of a person, a fire or explosion, or significant damage to the pipeline that affects its operation.
Less serious pipeline incidents involving an uncontrolled release of a commodity or a precautionary or emergency shutdown are classified by the TSB as “incidents.”
There have been no fatal accidents directly resulting from the operation of a federally regulated pipeline system since the TSB was established in 1990.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on April 17, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX: TRP)
Amanda Stephenson, Canadian Press
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