Alberta's Energy Resources Conservation Board Friday gave its final approval for Plains Midstream Canada to resume pumping crude on the northern section of the 200,000 b/d Rainbow pipeline in northern Alberta, which was shut after a leak in April.
"This final approval means Plains has met all of it conditions as set out in the August 16 conditional approval notice and can now resume pumping crude on the northern section of the Rainbow pipeline," ERCB spokesman Darin Barter said Friday. "The only remaining condition is that Plains notifies ERCB 24 hours before it resumes crude shipments on this section of Rainbow line so our staff can be at site to monitor the resumption."
"As of now, ERCB has not received any form of notification from Plains about its plans to resume pumping crude," Barter added. This implies Plains would most likely resume pumping over the weekend at the latest.
The pipeline was shut on April 28 after a 28,000-barrel spill in northwestern Alberta.
ERCB has concluded the spill was due to high-stress on an existing crack in a fillet weld that was made on a weld-on sleeve.
