Environment
Terry Reith / CBC / Reuters

Alberta lets Nexen reopen some Long Lake pipelines

The pipelines at the Long Lake facility were shut last month in a probe into one of the largest North American spills

Alberta's energy regulator will allow Nexen Energy, the Canadian subsidiary of China's CNOOC Ltd, to reopen some pipelines ordered closed following a major spill.

The Alberta Energy Regulator said late on Sunday that it would allow a restart of 40 of 95 pipelines closed at Nexen's Long Lake oil sands operations after reviewing maintenance and monitoring documentation.

"The remaining 55 pipelines affected by the order, which contain several products, including crude oil, natural gas, salt water, fresh water and emulsion, continue to be suspended," the regulator said in a statement.

"These pipelines ... will not return to service until Nexen can demonstrate that the pipelines can be operated safely and within all requirements."

The provincial regulator last month ordered Nexen to shut in the pipelines at the Long Lake facility as part of an investigation into one of the largest-ever oil-related pipeline spills on North American soil, discovered in July.

Reuters

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