ARCHIVED – Order NB-001-2018 (Amendment No. 3) to Westcoast Energy Inc. pursuant to section 51.1 of the National Energy Board Act
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INSPECTION OFFICER ORDER NO. NB-001-2018 (Amendment No. 3)
IN THE MATTER OF THE NATIONAL ENERGY BOARD ACT,
AN ORDER UNDER SECTION 51.1
is employed by Westcoast Energy Inc. carrying on business as Spectra Energy Transmission (Westcoast), and/or is a person conducting a ground disturbance or construction on or near a facility located at Prince George, British Columbia.
On or about 10 October 2018 at 9:30pm Mountain Time, the undersigned National Energy Board (NEB) Inspection Officer conducted an inspection of the Westcoast NPS 30 Mainline (NPS 30 L1) and NPS 36 Loop (NPS 36 L2) near Prince George, British Columbia.
The Inspection Officer has determined that a hazard is being or will be caused based on the following facts:
- A rupture occurred on the NPS 36 L2 at 17:30 Pacific Time on 9 October 2018 (INC-2018-142) resulting in a failure of the line.
- The NPS 30 L1 is located in the same Right of Way as the NPS 36 L2.
- An investigation by the Transportation Safety Board is underway to identify causes and contributing factors of the NPS 36 L2 rupture.
- The causes and contributing factors of the NPS 36 L2 rupture have not yet been determined.
- Westcoast has not yet demonstrated that either of the lines are fit for service at full Maximum Operating Pressure following the rupture.
- Westcoast has voluntarily committed to implement pressure restrictions on both lines.
An Inspection Officer Order (NB-001-2018) was issued by the NEB on 10 October 2018 to provide immediate safety. NB-001-2018 (Amendment No. 1) was issued on 23 October 2018, specifying modified and additional measures to provide ongoing safety based on the receipt of more detailed information.
On 13 November 2018, Westcoast applied to vary Specified Measures (a) and (b) of NB-001-2018 (Amendment No. 1) to request an alternative restricted operating pressure (ROP), and to propose a modified schedule for implementation of the overpressure protection system (OPP), respectively.
On 16 November 2018, NB-001-2018 (Amendment No. 2) was issued to allow Westcoast to increase the ROP of the NPS 36 L2 from 80% to 85% and modify its implementation of the OPP.
On 21 December 2018, Westcoast applied to vary Specified Measure (a) of NB-001-2018 (Amendment No. 2) to request an increase to the ROP. Based on an evaluation of the information provided by Westcoast, which includes an Engineering Assessment supporting the increase in the ROP, the Inspection Officer is satisfied that the NPS 36 L2 can be operated under the amended Specified Measures provided below.
Based on the above mentioned, the inspection officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a hazard to the safety or security of the public or of employees of a company or a detriment to property or the environment is being or will be caused by the construction, operation, maintenance or abandonment of the pipeline, or any part of a pipeline, an abandoned pipeline or any part of it, or a ground disturbance or the construction of a facility.
Therefore, Westcoast is HEREBY ORDERED,
pursuant to subsections 51.1(1) and 51.1(2) of the National Energy Board Act, to
Specified Measures:
Westcoast shall not operate any segment of the NPS 36 L2 located between Station 2 to Station 9 at a pressure above 88% of that segment's 60 day high pressure prior to the incident (Restricted Operating Pressure, or ROP1 for L2). Westcoast shall file with an NEB Inspection Officer (IO) confirmation that it has implemented the ROP within five (5) days after the date of issuance of this Inspection Officer Order. The ROP shall remain in place from the date of issuance of this Inspection Officer Order to 28 February 2019, at which time the ROP will return to 85%, unless Westcoast has demonstrated to the satisfaction of an IO, through an Engineering Assessment completed in accordance with CSA Z662-15 Clause 10.1, that the NPS 36 L2 is fit for service to safely operate at a pressure higher than the ROP.
If this Inspection Officer Order is still in effect on 31 August 2019, Westcoast shall submit an Engineering Assessment demonstrating that the NPS 36 L2 can continue to be safely operated at a pressure not exceeding the ROP. Engineering Assessments may be filed on a segment-by-segment basis.
Westcoast shall file with an IO, no later than 21 days after the issuance of this Inspection Officer Order, confirmation that the overpressure protection system for the NPS 36 L2 located between Station 2 to Station 9 has been set in accordance with CSA Z662-15 Clause 10.9.5, as amended by ROP requirementsFootnote 1.
| Inspection Officer | |
__________________________________ Signature |
| IO Designation # | ||
| Date 24 December 2018 | ||
| 210-517 10 Ave SW, Calgary AB T2R 0A8 | ||
- Date modified: