ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. was continuing cleanup operations Apr. 30 at the site of an Apr. 28 crude oil spill from its North Line. The company estimated 1,900 bbl spilled from the line prior to its shutdown and said that the oil had been contained in the immediate are of the spill, a rural property near Torbert, La. ExxonMobil said it shut the pipeline down after identifying a pressure loss. Crews used vacuum trucks to recover the oil, ExxonMobil said.
The company said no injuries had occurred and that on-going air monitoring confirmed no danger to the public. ExxonMobil is coordinating the cleanup effort with local authorities, including the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The company has notified the US Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies and is investigating the cause of the spill.
The North Line is a 22-in. OD pipeline starting in St. James, La., and carrying crude to northern Louisiana.
ExxonMobil’s 12-in. OD Silvertip Pipeline spilled crude oil into the Yellowstone River last July (OGJ Online, July 5, 2011).
