Nexen, a Chinese owned company in the Alberta Tar Sands had a massive spill when its one-year old double-walled pipeline burst, spilling 1.32 million gallons of bitumen, the largest ever spill in Alberta, (the land of spills). The line's failure detection system failed to alert officials and it was only noticed by a visual inspection of the area. Think about that when TransCanada tries to sell Keystone XL pipeline. The bitumen hasn't reached any rivers or lakes but it took place in muskeg (a grassy bog) country.
The company is careful to say "no damage to wildlife has been reported" which doesn't mean that it has not happened. We may never now the extent of the damage to flora and fauna as the company will likely guard the area.
From DESMOG CANADA with a video from a helicopter fly over.
Nexen’s Brand New, Double-Layered Pipeline Just Ruptured, Causing One of the Biggest Oil Spills Ever in Alberta
Nexen’s Fort McMurray pipeline spill one of Canada’s biggest ever
Wednesday’s leak happened about 36 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray at Nexen’s Long Lake oil sands facility. It is impacting an area of roughly 16,000 square metres in size.
Greenpeace issued a statement Thursday condemning Alberta's history of pipeline spills.
"As provincial premiers talk about ways to streamline the approval process for new tar sands pipelines, we have a stark reminder of how dangerous they can be," Greenpeace said in a news release.
Canada's premiers are meeting in St. John's, where a major topic of discussion is a national energy strategy.
"This leak is also a good reminder that Alberta has a long way to go to address its pipeline problems, and that communities have good reasons to fear having more built," said Greenpeace communications officer Peter Louwe. "New pipelines would also facilitate the expansion of the tarsands — Canada's fastest-growing source of carbon emissions — and accelerate the climate crisis even more.
"We need to stop new pipeline projects before they're built and focus on building renewable sources of energy that are sustainable and won't threaten communities, our environment, and the planet."
In April 2011, a Plains Midstream Canada ULC pipeline leaked 4.5 million litres of crude oil near a First Nations community in northwest Alberta.
That leak was the largest in the province in 35 years. It contaminated more than three hectares of beaver ponds and muskeg in a densely forested area.
Some animals in the muskeg:
Alces alces (moose)
Ardea herodias (great blue heron)
Botaurus lentiginosus (American bittern)
Canis lupus (gray wolf)
Circus cyaneus (northern harrier
Clemmys guttata (spotted turtle)
Falcipennis canadensis (spruce grouse)
Haliaeetus leucocephalus (bald eagle)
Lynx canadensis (lynx)
Pandion haliaetus (osprey)
Picoides arcticus (black-backed woodpecker))
UPDATE:
Nexen warning system failed to detect pipeline break
Alberta oil pipeline cleanup covers area of 2 CFL football fields
The material leaked through what Bailey says was a "visible burst" in the pipeline, a double-walled, high-pressure line installed in 2014. Bailey said the line was shut down immediately after the leak was discovered.
The detection system did not work in this case, so it isn't known how long the substance was leaking. A contractor walking along the pipeline discovered the spill.