VICTORIA – The company that owns the natural gas pipeline that ruptured and burned earlier this month in central British Columbia says repairs should be complete by the middle of November.
Enbridge says in a statement that work to fix the 91-centimetre pipeline is underway, and subject to regulatory approval, it should be back in service in November under reduced pressure.
The pipeline ruptured on Oct. 9 at a rural location about 15 kilometres northeast of Prince George, causing an explosion and huge fireball.
There were no injuries and the RCMP said it did not suspect criminal activity, but the cause of the blast has yet to be determined.
Enbridge says a second pipeline near the blast site was not damaged and it has been used to transport natural gas to southern B.C., on a reduced basis.
FortisBC, the utility supplying natural gas to about one million B.C. customers, says residential, industrial and institutional gas users should continue with conservation efforts.
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board and the National Energy Board continue to investigate the incident.