News release

Today, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its report (P24H0018) into the April 16, 2024 rupture, explosion and fire of a pipeline operated by TC Energy that occurred northwest of Edson, Alberta. There were no injuries, and no public evacuation was required.

The investigation determined that the pipeline's operating pressure increased to a level that caused an existing crack to rupture. The crack was determined to be caused by near-neutral pH stress corrosion cracking. The soil conditions and the pipeline’s disbonded protective coating, which exposed its steel surface, and its internal gas pressure, initiated stress corrosion cracking at the rupture location.

The crack that led to the pipeline rupture was detected by a 2022 in-line inspection but was classified as non-reportable. As a result, it was not included in TC Energy’s inspection analysis process or risk assessment for this pipeline. While in-line inspection technology is an invaluable tool for pipeline integrity management, the process relies heavily on human interpretation. As such, the variability of human performance introduces the possibility that a pipeline crack may not be identified, resulting in a missed opportunity to manage it.

Following the occurrence, TC Energy applied pressure restrictions on the pipeline while additional inspections took place adjacent to the occurrence location. The company completed another in-line inspection and completed excavations to verify the integrity of the pipeline. Baker Hughes, the in-line inspection service provider, also refined its processes to analyze in-line inspection results.

See the investigation page for more information.