Just a couple of weeks after a pipeline leak south of Merritt, Kinder Morgan has detected a second leak, this time 40 kilometeres outside of Hope.
Kinder Morgan is describing the seepage as small, but the company is still determining how much oil has leaked and what kind it is.
"We don't know the cause, but it looks to be a very small crack that was seeping, not dissimilar to what was found two weeks ago," said Andrew Galarnyk, director of external relations with Kinder Morgan Canada.
Galarnyk said the leak was discovered through the company's "integrity program," which detected an "anomaly."
"Pipelines will on occasion have issues, and our program is designed to identify things that could be bigger issues down the road," Galarnyk said. "These things occur. We're ready to respond with trained personnel."
The company has shut down the line to start repair work, but the timing of the leak coincides with Kinder Morgan's plan to reveal possible pipeline expansion routing options for Burnaby. Kinder Morgan is hosting an open house today, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Executive Inn on Lougheed Highway, to showcase the options for a twinned pipeline path through the city.
Around June 12, Kinder Morgan detected a previous spill south of Merritt, and the total volume of oil released was approximately six barrels. Kinder Morgan shut down the pipeline, and removed the contaminated soil.
