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http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com ... -and-pipeline-spill
2 J1 M( t8 X. a0 ^" N) S5 `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.
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7 {1 H1 Z. L9 D2 cThe 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.$ O4 `9 c/ s' n$ d# x) V8 t
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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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An internal investigation found the explosion was a result of work being performed that was "outside of the scope of approved work activities."* \" {7 g, M+ c% s, S4 Y* {
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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. " R5 l& K. _" F- @7 u2 l8 ~6 @
: m* T' h' B; V+ T$ l1 kIn its announcement Nexen said it is addressing safety gaps in part with refresher training on workplace hazard identification, increased site supervision and safety inspections.
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& e% e X, X, B7 n3 kThe 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.
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2 ?8 g! C% M6 k. { ]; K! IThe 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.
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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.". I' H( [6 Y3 F, H; Q7 U
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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. & u! n4 x$ k- n9 n$ C
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The 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. ! k: b: s) [$ D
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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.
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3 F2 b/ T% m0 o3 Q6 f7 l0 A, D5 ]- with files from Vincent McDermott |
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