CALGARY — The operator of a major Canada-U.S. natural gas pipeline that has been shut down since Friday says it could take several days to burn off hazardous gas that mistakenly got into its system.
Alliance Pipeline, whose system runs from northeastern B.C. to the Chicago area, has begun flaring off the gas in two locations in southeastern Saskatchewan.
It says that's the safest way to get rid of the gas that was contaminated with an unknown amount of poisonous hydrogen sulphide.
Alliance says people in the Alameda and Arcola areas of Saskatchewan may see and hear the gas being burned, but it shouldn't have any odour.
Natural gas processor and transporter Keyera Corp. (TSX:KEY) said Friday that the toxic gas got into the Alliance pipeline after a "brief operational upset" at its Simonette gas plant in northwestern Alberta two days earlier.
A number of producers have had their operations hampered by the Alliance closure, most recently Athabasca Oil (TSX:ATH).
