The Federal Supervisory Authorities have instructed the operator of the Keystone pipeline to take several corrective measures after a break at the beginning of this week spilled more than 556,000 liters of oil on arable land in North Dakota.
The Pipeline operator based in Calgary said that his goal was to resume deliveries in refineries in the next few days.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) instructed South Bow to send the failed pipe section for mechanical and metallurgical tests to a laboratory of third -party providers, the agency announced in a statement on Friday.
The company must also carry out a basic cause for the analysis of the failure on Tuesday and check all inspection reports of the past 10 years to identify anomalies that may be available in the failed pipe, neighboring connections or somewhere else on the system, the agency added.
“Phmsa has already secured the full cooperation and the written obligation of the operator to take all the necessary measures to repair the line and determine the cause of the error,” said the incumbent administrator Ben Kochman in the explanation. “Several PHMSA investigators are located in North Dakota and in the control room facility of the operator in Calgary to determine the cause of the accident.”
The order also requires an evaluation of the special permission of the pipeline, with which the line can work with above -average pressing to determine whether new or modified conditions are required.
South Bow still examines the cause of the spill along the Keystone pipeline near Fort Ransom, ND, about 100 kilometers southwest of Fargo. The burial of the underground pipeline published an estimated 3,500 barrel – or 556,455 liters – crude oil in arable land.
The affected pipeline segment can only be restarted if the US agency grants the operator permission. South Bow said on Saturday that it will be aimed at restoring the service and energy supply by Tuesday when the order does it.
South Bow also said that his reaction and recovery efforts were continued. The company said its crews prepared for the repair and replacement of the pipe section concerned. It also said that the local crews were with vacuum cars and other clean -up devices and that the work would continue over the weekend.
The company also said that it would limit the operating pressure on the Canadian Keystone sections, as was agreed with the Canadian energy supervisory authorities.
The pipeline extends over 4,327 kilometers from Alberta to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas. The spill has triggered concerns about the effects of a long closure of energy prices, especially petrol and diesel.
“Our main focus remains on the security of the local staff and the mitigating risk of the environment,” said South Bow. “We commit to Fort Ransom to the community and will continue the cleaning activities until the site is fully remedied.”
