Condensate leak contained, says Plains Midstream

Clean-up is now underway north of Grande Prairie, Alta., where a natural gas-related leak was reported on Saturday.

Plains Midstream Canada shut down a pipeline in its Kemp system on Saturday, activating emergency response procedure following a release of condensate, which is a by-product of natural gas production.

In a release Sunday afternoon, Plains Midstream Canada said the leak has now been contained and that crews are working to collect the leaked fluids using Gator and vacuum trucks.

The company said more than 60 of its staff and local contractors have been working around-the-clock in shifts since the leak was found.

The company added that safety is its top priority, and all workers are attending regular safety briefings while involved in cleanup efforts.

The company said they have also completed a wildlife assessment and said that no negative impacts have been identified. Plains Midstream said it would continue working closely with regulatory agencies to restore the local environment.

While the cause of the leak is not yet confirmed, the damaged section has been removed and inspected. Initial investigations suggest the pipe sustained damage from construction equipment being used in the area.

The Kemp system includes 79 kilometres of pipeline used to transport condensate and other liquid byproducts produced in natural gas processing.

The leak, which happened about 90 kilometres northwest of Manning, comes just two weeks after an Apache Canada pipeline released about 9.5 million litres of contaminated water in northwest Alberta.

Plains Midstream has been responsible for two major oil pipeline bursts in recent years in the province a28,000-barrel spill two years ago near Peace River, and and a 3,000-barrel spill last year into the Red Deer River.