Picture Not Courtesy of ABC News
Attacks on oil facilities bring to mind Nigeria’s heavily armed MEND guerrillas, but a small war against oil companies has come to Canada.
Police believe an explosion under a sour-gas pipeline yesterday in the Dawson Creek area of British Columbia may be linked to an explosion 20km away last week and a threatening letter sent to local news groups. The letter warned of “crazy expansion of deadly gas wells in our homelands” and that “we will no longer negotiate with terrorists”.
Both targeted pipelines were operated by Alberta oil corporation EnCana, The first explosion, on the 12th of October, left a six foot crater and ripped insulation off a pipeline carrying 60 million cubic feet of gas per day, but the pipe did not rupture. Similarly, yesterday’s attack was on a pipe carrying between 40-50 million cfpd but only caused a small leak, ”The leak was very small. It was contained or stopped almost immediately. In fact, when the line was depressurized, the leak stopped,” Encana spokesman Alan Boras said. The company says its processing facilities in the region are operating normally but has increased security and surveillance significantly.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police believe the incident is local in nature and not connected to any international terrorist groups. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks or the letter sent to news groups, which stated that oil groups should stop operating in the area. The attacks may be motivated by the toxic nature of sour-gas which can be fatal if inhaled. No one has been injured by the attacks yet but if a pipe were to rupture it could cause serious fires.
The explosions are similar to the 150 attacks at oil natural gas facilities in Alberta between 1996 and 1998. Albertan farmer and environmental activist Wiebo Ludwig was found guilty of the attacks, which included nails strewn on roads and shootings, and sentenced to 28 months in jail. Apart from this spate of attacks, vandalism on Canadian oil infrastructure is rare.
The first two attacks may be part of a larger campaign of serial bombings against Encanda and other oil groups. The RCMP is acting to apprehend the individual or group responsible.
