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http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com ... -and-pipeline-spill
9 R9 P* _4 v4 {3 b0 @Nexen Energy will lay off about 350 workers from its Long Lake facility, following its release of results of internal investigations into a July 2015 pipeline spill and the January 2016 hydrocracker explosion.9 j" z. s6 Q% y
1 o8 F/ t$ c4 `1 w9 [) r3 f; B5 JThe CNOOC-owned energy company will only be continuing its steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations at Long Lake, after it determined a short-term repair was not possible for the hydrocracker unit, which killed two employees when it exploded on Jan. 15, 2016.! r+ L- C% C" g- p
0 e; x$ y0 b, C' @The facility's upgrader has been idling since then, and will be moved into winter preservation, with no estimation of when it will be brought back into service.
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' |) p) B* c0 IAn internal investigation found the explosion was a result of work being performed that was "outside of the scope of approved work activities."
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The two employees killed, both Fort McMurray residents, were 52-year-old Drew Foster and 30-year-old Dave Williams. Foster was killed in the explosion. Williams, who was flown to the University of Alberta Hospital's burn unit hours after the explosion, died a week later.
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* _9 \5 w# M4 G. X) J; |In its announcement Nexen said it is addressing safety gaps in part with refresher training on workplace hazard identification, increased site supervision and safety inspections. * S+ N" y* o9 H, z
9 @5 R. H+ N4 C0 A3 M7 N7 j9 nThe decision to move to a SAGD-only operation was described as "entirely economic," and will result in about 350 staff layoffs, most of which will be completed by the end of 2016. ) N: z8 A$ ^# d6 j5 D
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The results of the investigations were given at a news conference on Tuesday by Nexen CEO Fang Zhi and Senior Vice President of Canadian Operation Ron Bailey.& K2 c. C6 a4 ^3 {3 Q- Z- d/ X
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Nexen also said it found the root cause of a July 2015 emulsion spill at Long Lake to be a "thermally-driven upheaval buckling of the pipeline, and the subsequent cooldown during the turnaround."2 V( g9 l9 M4 [8 t7 b
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This was caused because of pipeline design incompatible with the muskeg ground conditions, and steps that could have been taken to mitigate the potential for buckling were not addressed. 7 }3 _, R8 h. s+ O8 l
( C/ N5 q4 S+ _; `5 @6 pThe spill poured up to five million litres of emulsion - a mixture of water, bitumen and sand - into surrounding muskeg. The spill may have been ongoing for up to two weeks when it was discovered in July 2015 by a contractor walking through the area.
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In August the Alberta Energy Regulator ordered Nexen to shut down 95 pipelines until the company could prove the pipelines could be operated responsibly. The suspension was lifted in September 2015. 1 d/ O1 [: V6 O( S5 V
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- with files from Vincent McDermott |
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