An oil spill on the KeyÂstone pipeÂline in northÂeastÂern North DaÂkoÂta this week is the seÂcond sigÂnifiÂcant leak in two years on a crude oil pipeÂline that opÂened less than a decÂade ago.
The KeyÂstone pipeÂline, which transÂports oil from AlÂberÂta to the Midwest, apÂpears to have rupÂtured on TuesÂday and has since spilled an estimated 383,000 galÂlons of crude near the town of Edinburg, acÂcordÂing to the North DaÂkoÂta Department of EnÂviÂronÂmenÂtal Quality.
The CalÂgaÂry-based comÂpany that opÂerÂates the pipeÂline, TC Energy, said in a stateÂment that the leak has afÂfectÂed aÂbout 22,500 square feet of land, or aÂbout a half-acre. The comÂpany said it's workÂing to disÂcover the leak's cause, as well as cleaning up the spill and repairing the pipeline.
State enÂviÂronÂmenÂtal reguÂlaÂtors say the spill enÂcroached on wetÂlands aÂbout 3 miles outÂside of Edinburg, which is aÂbout 70 miles northÂwest of Grand Forks.
In NoÂvemÂber 2017, the KeyÂstone pipeÂline ruptured near AmÂherst, S.D., spillÂing 407,000 galÂlons of oil, though initial estimates pegged the leak at 210,000 gallons.
The probÂable cause of that spill was a "faÂtigue crack" from meÂchanÂiÂcal damÂage durÂing the pipeÂline's conÂstrucÂtion, the National Transportation Safety Board conÂcludÂed last year. A metal-tracked veÂhiÂcle likeÂly caused the crack, which grew over time unÂtil the pipeÂline rupÂtured.
"It's a valid quesÂtion, two cracks on a fairÂly new pipeÂline — geez what's going on?" said RichÂard Kuprewicz, presÂiÂdent of Accufacts, a WashÂingÂton state-based pipeÂline safeÂty conÂsultÂing firm.
Still, he cauÂtioned that "age is not a preÂdicÂtor of pipeÂline failÂure. I have seen new pipeÂlines that have reÂalÂly been abused and I have seen old pipeÂlines that look like new."
The KeyÂstone pipeÂline is one of three large transÂnaÂtionÂal pipeÂline sysÂtems that transÂport a parÂticÂuÂlarÂly thick crude from AlÂberÂta's oil sands, also called tar sands. The largÂest such sysÂtem is run by CalÂgaÂry-based EnÂbridge, and its main corÂriÂdor of pipelines runs through northÂern MinÂneÂsoÂta to SuÂpeÂriÂor, Wis.
EnÂbridge is in the midst of a yearsÂlong batÂtle to build a new pipeÂline to reÂplace its exÂistÂing Line 3, which is agÂing, corÂrodÂing and opÂerÂatÂing at only 51% caÂpacÂiÂty. MinÂneÂsoÂta pubÂlic utiliÂties reguÂlaÂtors apÂproved new Line 3 last year. But the pipeÂline — fierceÂly opÂposed by enÂviÂronÂmenÂtal groups and some OjibÂwe tribes — is still waitÂing for othÂer perÂmits.
The KeyÂstone pipeÂline, which ferÂries oil to terÂmiÂnals in Oklahoma and southern IlÂliÂnois, opÂened in 2010. TC Energy is tryÂing to exÂpand the KeyÂstone sysÂtem with its conÂtroÂverÂsial KeyÂstone XL pipeÂline, which would run from AlÂberÂta through MonÂtanÂa and South DaÂkoÂta to Steele City, Neb.This week's North DaÂkoÂta leak would rank in the Top 10 largÂest U.S. onÂshore oil spills since 2010. In that year, an EnÂbridge pipeÂline rupÂtured in southÂwestÂern MichÂiÂgan, spillÂing 834,000 galÂlons of CaÂnaÂdiÂan crude. EnÂbridge's last maÂjor spill in MinÂneÂsoÂta was in 2002 when Line 3 failed near Cohasset, reÂleasÂing 252,000 galÂlons of oil.
Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003