Pipeline shutdown a 'manageable inconvenience' for Manitoba, not a disaster: supply chain expert

The Manitoba government says fuel trucks have been dispatched to Winnipeg from southern Manitoba after Imperial Oil shut down a pipeline over the weekend — a move one expert says will cause a "manageable inconvenience," but was the right thing to do.

Imperial announced over the weekend that the line was shut down after an inspection raised concerns about a section of the pipe just south of St. Adolphe, Man.

Since there are no refineries in the province, the Winnipeg Products Pipeline delivers refined petroleum products from the Enbridge Mainline at Gretna, Man. — near the U.S. border — to Winnipeg.

It transports gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to supply customers in the greater Winnipeg region. 

"Today I've confirmed that fuel trucks are already on their way to Winnipeg from Gretna," said Jamie Moses, the province's minister for economic development and natural resources, during question period at the legislature Tuesday. 

"The Manitoba government has taken several steps to lean on suppliers to maintain gasoline supply and to ensure the maintenance work is being done quickly and safely," he said, including working with Imperial and suppliers on delivering fuel by rail and truck.

Keri Scobie, a spokesperson for Imperial Oil, told CBC the issue with the pipeline was caught during a routine inspection by the company earlier this year, but did not say exactly when.

"We identified that there was some strain on the pipeline as it was crossing the Red River just South of St. Adolphe, which we believe is caused by ground movement on the riverbank," Scobie said.

There were "natural things happening that were impacting the pipeline" and "we felt it was the right time to do some maintenance," she said, describing it as a proactive decision to ensure the line's integrity.

That involves replacing a section of the pipeline that runs under the Red River, south of Winnipeg.

The company did not disclose the length of the section that is being replaced.

Inspections are done "several times a year," and no previous repairs have been done on this section of the pipeline, Scobie told CBC.

"We've got such a rigorous kind of inspection protocol that we do repair work, maintenance work, all of those kinds of things on a regular basis on our pipelines."

Two lines, running parallel to each other, have been shut down. The original 10-inch (25-centimetre) line was built in 1950 and an eight-inch (20-centimetre) line was built in 1974, according to the province.