Reuters: Regulatory News: UPDATE 1-Enbridge pledges new Northern Gateway safety measures

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UPDATE 1-Enbridge pledges new Northern Gateway safety measures Jul 20th 2012, 16:58 Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:58pm EDT * New Gateway safety measures to cost up to C$500 mln * Enbridge promises thicker pipewall, more monitoring * Shares edge lower CALGARY, Alberta, July 20 (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc moved to assuage critics of its controversial C$5.5 billion ($5.4 billion) Northern Gateway pipeline plan on Friday by adding safety measures that will increase the cost of the project by as much as C$500 million. The company said the measures include increasing the thickness of the pipeline's walls, adding even thicker pipe at water crossings, increasing the number of shut-off valves and installing leak detection systems. The Northern Gateway pipeline would ship 525,000 barrels a day of oil derived from the Alberta tar sands to Kitimat, British Columbia, on Canada's Pacific Coast, where it would be loaded onto tankers and shipped to markets in Asia and California. A second line would take 193,000 bpd ultra-light crude and natural-gas liquids into Alberta. The new steps are meant to placate environmental groups and aboriginal communities along the line's route that are concerned that an oil spill could threaten fish and wildlife in northern British Columbia and on the Pacific Coast. "It has become clear - we have to do everything we can to ensure confidence in the project," Janet Holder, Enbridge's executive vice-president, western access, said in a statement. "We have often been asked if we could guarantee that we would never have a significant pipeline failure over the years on Northern Gateway. These initiatives will put the project closer than any pipeline system in the world to providing that guarantee." Along with thicker walls, Enbridge promises to increase the frequency of in-line inspections by 50 percent above current standards and to have full-time staff at remote pumping stations. The company said the measures will cost between C$400 million and C$500 million to implement. The announcement comes a week after the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board denounced the company's handling of a 2010 pipeline rupture in Michigan, with the board's chairman characterizing the company's employees as "Keystone Kops" as they failed to stop the flow of oil on the line for 17 hours following the initial spill. Enbridge shares were down 13 Canadian cents at C$41.42 at midday on Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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