EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Energy companies Enbridge Inc. and TransCanada Corp. said they signed a partnership agreement to conduct research into pipeline leak detection in Canada.
Both companies said they would conduct research into how to detect pipeline leaks by examining exterior pipeline walls using a simulator developed by Enbridge at a research facility in Edmonton, Alberta.
"Enbridge has invested considerable time and resources into building a world-class leak detection testing apparatus, but we believe that working together with committed partners to discover the best technology on the market is in everyone's best interest," Kirk Byrtus, vice president of pipeline control, said in a statement.
Enbridge said it would invest $1.5 million in the project and TransCanada would commit $1.2 million more to the research project. The provincial government of Alberta is backing the project with $1 million.
A rupture from Line 6b, part of an Enbridge oil pipeline system in Michigan, ruptured in 2010, resulting in one of the worst onshore incidents of its kind in U.S. history. TransCanada's planned Keystone XL pipeline is the target of criticism because the heavier type of crude oil designated for the pipeline is seen as more corrosive than rival grades.
Vern Meier, a vice president in charge of pipeline safety at TransCanada, said his company strives "for zero leaks or safety incidents on our pipelines."
