Regulator issues formal order to Trilogy Energy over Alberta pipeline leak

CALGARY – The Alberta Energy Regulator has issued a formal order to oil and gas producer Trilogy Energy to contain, clean up and report on a pipeline leak from its operations in north central Alberta.

AER spokesman Peter Murchland says the order requires the company to stop using its leaking pipeline, which it has already done, and formalizes a schedule of reports. It also orders Trilogy to provide daily updates for the public on its website.

The company has said the oil and water mixture that leaked has covered about three hectares of marshland — the size of roughly five Canadian Football League fields — approximately 15 kilometres from Fox Creek.

In an update on its website Friday, Trilogy says it still doesn’t know the volume of the spill or what caused the leak discovered on Oct. 6.

It says two birds were found dead on site within 48 hours of the spill but no dead wildlife has been found since then.