Keystone Pipeline Shutdown After Leak Near Mississippi River in Missouri

By St. Louis Post-Dispatch

08 February 19

 

ransCanada said Friday its Keystone pipeline is likely the source of an oil leak in St. Charles County.

Spokesman Terry Cunha in a Friday statement said crews continue to excavate the area where the leak was discovered Wednesday. He said TransCanada's preliminary investigation points to Keystone.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Enbridge Inc. said Friday it's "highly confident" that its nearby Platte pipeline wasn't the source. It's already begun a restart plan for its pipeline, Enbridge said.

The leak amounted to 43 barrels of crude oil on land, according to Missouri's Department of Natural Resources. The spill and shutdown of portions of the Platte and Keystone pipelines raised fresh concerns about pipeline safety, and about the already constricted flow of Canadian oil to U.S. refineries.

Canadian pipelines are congested because of expanding production in recent years, forcing the Alberta provincial government to order production cuts starting last month. Canadian heavy oil has attracted greater demand following U.S. sanctions against Venezuela's state oil company.

Enbridge expects the full Platte pipeline to resume normal operations by Saturday morning .

DNR said that the Enbridge line's operations may even resume later in the day on Friday.

"The exact quantity of oil released can’t be determined until excavation is complete," an agency update said, adding that "it is unclear how long the release lasted, but a follow-up investigation should be able to estimate its duration."

The spill in rural St. Charles County on Wednesday led TransCanada to shut Keystone between Steele City, Neb., and Patoka, Ill. That pipeline runs parallel to Enbridge's Platte line and feeds refineries owned by BP, Marathon Petroleum Corp. and one jointly by Phillips 66 and Cenovus Energy.

Wood River Refinery is currently undergoing planned maintenance, said Phillips 66 spokeswoman Melissa Ory.

A spokesperson for Marathon declined to comment and BP did not immediately respond.

The 590,000 barrels-per-day Keystone pipeline is a critical artery taking Canadian crude from northern Alberta to U.S. refineries.

The spilled oil was contained to an area of approximately 4,000 square feet, Missouri's Natural Resources Department said.

But the leak happened near the Mississippi River, at a spot upstream of the intake for St. Louis's drinking water supply, said John Hickey, director of the Sierra Club's Missouri chapter. The immediate concern is that leaked oil could contaminate farm wells, he said.

DNR "has met with all affected landowners and at this time there are no concerns," the agency said.