Calgary-based integrated energy company Husky Energy has been forced to temporarily shut one of its north-western Albertan pipelines in response to a pipeline incident in low-lying wetland some 15 km south-east of Rainbow Lake. Where, Husky Energy has reported the spillage of around 900,000 l of water and some petroleum and chemicals, produced as a by-product from its oil and gas extraction.

According to a report by the Canadian paper Global News in 2019, the Alberta energy regulator is reported as saying that “the impact of produced water is extremely variable depending on the concentration of oil and whether the substance is ‘sweet’ or ‘sour.' Taking this into account the Canadian industry regulator for the Province of Alberta has just announced that various environmental clean-up efforts are underway around the site of the pipeline leak.

Dawn Delaney, a Husky Energy spokeswoman is reported by the Calgary-based Calgary Herald as saying clean-up efforts are underway, including the use of pumps and vacuum trucks in order to minimise the damage and protect the local environment. In keeping with common industry practice, the company is undertaking a thorough investigation of the incident. This is just one more headache for Alberta’s oil and gas industry which faces Covid - induced depressed demand.