U.S. Regulators Order Action to be Taken for North Dakota Oil Spill

U.S. pipeline regulators on Wednesday ordered Belle Fourche Pipeline Co. to improve leak detection, along with other actions, after a Dec. 5 incident that spilled about 4,200 barrels of oil in North Dakota.

Of that total, an estimated 3,100 barrels of crude oil entered the Ash Coulee Creek near Belfield, North Dakota. That oil has been contained. As of Wednesday, more than 1,900 barrels had been recovered from the creek, company spokeswoman Wendy Owen said by phone.

The Ash Coulee Creek flows into a tributary of the Missouri River, a source of drinking water.

The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a corrective action order to Belle Fourche, which is owned by True Cos. Besides improving leak detection, the company must enhance patrols and remediate any pipeline in unstable land areas before resuming operations.

Data from the agency shows the spill was the sixth-largest pipeline incident this year.

True Cos on Wednesday said it was reviewing the PHMSA order, and that it was too early to comment on its content or their response.

The incident occurred about 150 miles (241 km) from the site of protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which was halted in early December following months of opposition from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and others who said a spill could contaminate drinking water.

The Belle Fourche leak occurred on a 6-inch (15 cm) line that is part of the company’s Bicentennial Pipeline system. The affected segment has the capacity to move up to 2,400 barrels of oil per day and runs intermittently.

Last week, a company spokesman said that equipment did not detect the leak, probably because the line does not flow continuously.

(Reporting by Hampton; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Alan Crosby)

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• Cleanup Ongoing after North Dakota Pipeline Oil Spill

Topics USA Energy Oil Gas