When viewed in the broader context, the spill unfortunately casts Canada’s midstream sector in a bad light. Today, there exists a heated debate surrounding pipeline development in Canada; the operation and development of oil and gas pipelines is one of the most contentious issues Canada’s court of public opinion. On one side of the argument is the economic benefit that will accrue to Canada as a whole. On the other side is the argument that the environmental risk is far too significant to build yet more pipelines. Having said that, the BOE Report is fully in favor of developing such critical infrastructure in a responsible way. It is crucial for both the oil and gas industry and the nation’s economy for proposed pipeline projections to be given the green light. A point that has been made repeatedly throughout this publication.
Recently, I received a satirical perspective on one aspect of the pipeline debate, the protection of major rivers. Written by an industry veteran with several decades of petroleum industry experience, the piece is refreshing, funny, and insightful analysis on what perhaps can be done better on the part of pipeline operators in both Canada and the United States. Although written in an unorthodox/irreverent style, the points the author makes should certainly be considered by people on both sides of the pipeline development debate.
– James Rose
G’day. I am an elder in the distinct society of the people of Alberta. Nearin my best-before date, thot I’d rite a last thanky note on behalf of the North Saskatchewan River, sacred to my people.
Remember kalamazoo one? That foren cumpany Enbrij spilt a big gob of dilbert into a Murican river in Mishygun. Seems they was doin a ireglar on the pypeline, when it plum broked. So they kept on doin ireglar, and many hours later someone sawsmelt crudecrud in the river. Seems this oilmix got heavier overtime and sunked to the bottom. So they had stinkin oil on the shores, pretty rainbow sheen on the river, and gobbybits downunder. Folks was underwhelmed with joy and admiration. Anyway billion bucks and minifines and some hailmerrys later, all was forgived and forgot.
Tad later, sameco was tryin to find a gateway to bild a pypeline cross the densely populated north of that second province of BC. Thru tyranny of the minority, I’m sad to say my brother elders avoidered that. But lost in the pypebild report was some sayso or imply wot the kalamazoo one was a nomaly, could never happen agin. Any leak would be seened and sewed shut in minutes, not hours. Chuckle. And I near bellyful guffawed at the part where sameco’s pypeleak and safevalve location software was proprietary! Just trust us, that’s a transparency fersure. But the reglators, not knowin how to figger it theyselves, bullbot allofit.
Tad even later, pypefolks was wantin to aksess a big fat dilbert pypeline cross the North Saskatchewan into the city of exchampions. Still no useful codes or regulashuns where to put safevalves. But at least shoulda been figgerin where a pypebrake oilflow would go into the river it crossed and parylelled. No such werk verdun. The ticky box reglator had one little ticky box where pypeline operator confesses to havin dun the upfront werk all in accordance with codes and regs. Conshus aside, they ticky boxed a yes. Not sure that reglator ever did take em to task on the whole safevalve thing.
Even tadmore later, linenine pypeline operator wants to turnybout the flow direkshun in a middlin big fat old pypeline in that other province, top ten methinks, of Ontario. Preppin up for the inevitable reglatory ballyhoo, they mysterious like finds and fixes hunerds of pypeflaws what weren’t there day afore the turnybout. No harms, no fouls. All ready to start the turnybout line, reglator says no, not enuff safevalves. Operator, bein kalamazoo one sameco agin, says “Not so accordin to our super duper proprietary safe valve locator software”. Miffed tone. “And we meets all the codes and regs, as we understand em to be defined”. Standard clinten defence. So few more safevalves later, linenine was a fine pypeline.
Brings us to kalamazoo two. That foren company Husky pypeline breaks in third province of Sakatchone, leaks near 1000 barrels of gummystuff dilbert oil, some gets into the North Saskatchewan River. Apparently was in ireglar operation then, startin or stopping or the like. Hours, not mere minutes, go by. Used highly sinetifik instrument knowed as eyeball to detect leak on river. Not a problem, unless yore a river critter, or a prince in Albert needin a thirstyquench drink of water. But citizens of Albert had done extensive study and knewed they was at risk from upstream pypeline. Knowed exactly where all the pypes was, all the defects in them, exactly where the safevalves was, exact amount of oil could be spilled, exactly when oil would reach their intake. Like all towns and cities with water intakes down from pypes, they was well informed, well prepared, and voluntarily accepted the risks. Not waitin round for some pypeline oprator or polytishun to save em in the event. Still, could have been middle of winter, river half full of ice, water hosed frozed. Now some people was feelin blessed it was just an eastern problem. But all lives matter. And unlike the Murican kalamazoo one uproarus, kalamazoo two gets a vanilla tsk tsk from Canajun media, reglators, and polytishuns alike.
We need pipelines, and pipelines are very safe. Unfortunately accidents will continue to happen, and many will continue to be the result of non-routine operations. Operators have, quite correctly and with much success, focused on reducing the probability of failure. However the issues of locating isolation valves, and determining the methods and parameters for predicting leaks or full bore rupture volumes, have and continue to be left in the purgatory known as “non-prescriptive” code. Time for a change if you want world class solutions. Additionally, it seems that reasonable approaches to protecting the rivers don’t work, so consider an unreasonable approach of assuming a break will occur and plan containment accordingly, if possible.
Since the probability of failure is so low, operators will determine that such measures are uneconomic unless the fines are large enough, say a million dollars a barrel, to influence the calculations. Share the pain by having producers shipping through the ruptured pipeline subject to fines also. That might create an effective but informal self-regulation of the industry. If your community water intake is downstream of a liquids pipeline, you may want to take the initiative to determine where those pipelines and safety valves are, how much oil will spill from a break, and where it will enter the river. Take the Ducks Unlimited folks out for a tour with you and see if there is a joint project to manage a containment area.
There are about 250 pipelines crossing the North Saskatchewan River. It’s the western Canadian river most at risk from pipeline breaks. Thanky, on behalf of the river, and my people.
For furthermores, contact Jak Preacher at jakpreacher@gmail.com