Oil and Gas: Underwater vehicle to inspect damaged Great Lakes oil pipes

The company which owns twin oil pipelines beneath the waterway which connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan is preparing to launch an underwater vehicle to inspect damage which may have been caused by a ship’s anchor.

A spokesman for Enbridge Inc said on the 16^th April the remote-controlled vehicle will examine the submerged pipes in the Straits of Mackinac. They are part of Line 5, which carries 23 million gallons (87 million litres) of crude oil daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario.

Enbridge temporarily shut down the line over the weekend, blaming a power outage at its Superior terminal.

Officials say dents in both pipes may have been caused by “vessel activity” also believed responsible for damaging two electric cables that leaked 600 gallons (2,271 litres) of coolant fluid into the straits.

Source: Penn Energy