Alberta pipeline leaks oil into flowing wetland northeast of Fox Creek

Alberta’s energy watchdog is responding to a pipeline failure that is believed to have leaked oil into a flowing wetland in northwestern Alberta.

Calgary-based Trilogy Energy Corp. said it discovered the leak Thursday afternoon at its Kaybob project about 15 kilometres northeast of Fox Creek.

The Alberta Energy Regulator said oil emulsion, consisting of half water, half oil, has leaked into a flowing marsh area that isn’t home to fish.

The watchdog said Friday afternoon it was still trying to determine the volume of the spill and whether it affected any wildlife.

“The pipeline’s been shut in and is being purged to remove any of the remaining product,” said Carrie Rosa, spokeswoman with the regulator.

The energy regulator posted a brief report about the spill on its website, but didn’t issue a release.

Trilogy said in a release published after 4 p.m. Friday afternoon there were no injuries as a result of the spill, but that it was working to determine the size of the affected area.

The company, controlled by oil tycoon and Calgary Flames co-owner Clayton Riddell, said it has activated its emergency response plan, with crews on site working to determine the cause and to clean it up. 

News of the leak falls on the heels of Apache Canada Ltd. pleading guilty to two counts of failing to properly operate its pipelines following multiple spills.

It was ordered to pay $350,000 in penalties following two spills that leaked a combined nearly four million litres of produced water, containing mostly salt water and some oil, in separate Alberta sites.

In July, up to 250,000 litres of oil mixed with a lighter hydrocarbon leaked from Husky Energy Inc.’s pipeline into the North Saskatchewan River near Maidstone, Sask.

With files from The Canadian Press

rsouthwick@postmedia.com