Ruptured pipeline spills 100,000 litres

A six-inch diameter oil emulsion pipeline leaked on the Hay Lake First Nation spilling about 100,000 litres of a mixture of wastewater, oil and gas. The spill was detected Aug. 14 by a helicopter crew doing regular daily inspection and maintenance work. The five-kilometer pipeline is owned by Calgary-based NuVista Energy and runs from an oil testing facility to an oil battery. So far, there have been no reports of harm to wildlife. A two-metre-high fence was erected to prevent animals from getting into the site. Alberta Energy Regulator investigators and First Nations officials inspected the property on Aug. 16. The company said an initial survey indicates an area of about 110 metres by 120 metres has been affected.