TransCanada suffers another pipeline rupture

A rupture in a natural gas pipeline that occurred in west-central Alberta, Canada on Tuesday (February 18th) is being investigated by the National Energy Board. The pipeline, owned by TransCanada broke in the morning and was shut down immediately, resulting in no risk or safety concerns.

The Ferrier North Lateral pipeline ruptured around six miles north of Rocky Mountain House, causing no injuries to the public. It ruptured early in the morning - 5am local time (12pm GMT) - with works undertaken quickly to shut it down. Both regulators and landowners were informed of the problem.

According to Shawn Howard, spokesman for TransCanada, the home that is closest to the rupture is around 500 metres away and is in no danger. No evacuation is required and those that live on the property have been informed of the situation. TransCanada will remain in continuous contact with the homeowner to ensure that their safety is maintained as the broken section of pipe is dealt with.

Mr Howard continued by saying that energy board personnel and the Transportation Safety Board will be monitoring the company's response to the latest rupture. TransCanada's plans must be approved by the energy board before any work can be undertaken to repair the ruptured pipeline. 

The Rocky Mountain House community has not experienced any disruption to its natural gas service, although they have been advised to make use of different fuel sources until the pipeline is functional once more.

This is the second rupture of a TransCanada pipeline so far this year. Last month (January) saw a pipeline that forms a section of the mainland system that operates cross-country explode and catch fire outside of Otterburne Manitoba. This rupture resulted in thousands of households being without natural gas supply during a particularly cold month. 

The latest rupture in a TransCanada pipeline is sure to put the company in the spotlight even more, as safety concerns over the existing pipeline structure are raised. Luckily, this most recent rupture is incredibly small and appears to have been handled quickly, saving communities the hassle of having their service disrupted.