Ruptured U.S. Oil Pipeline May Restart In 'A Few' Days

   By Dan Molinski 
 

An important U.S. oil pipeline owned by Enterprise Products Partners and Enbridge Inc. that ruptured Monday in Texas may resume pumping in a few days, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"We don't have an estimate as to when the pipeline will be back in service but expect it will be a few more days barring any unforeseen delays," Enterprise's Rick Rainey said in an email.

The 30-inch diameter Seaway S-1 pipeline normally pumps 400,000 barrels of crude oil each day from a hub in Cushing, Okla. to refineries 500 miles away near Houston. It was punctured Monday northeast of Dallas by a road crew working nearby for the Texas Department of Transportation, Mr. Rainey said.

The rupture of the high-pressure line caused oil to spray several stories into the air, caking a nearby highway with crude oil, forcing it and a nearby gun shop and gas station to be closed. The highway and businesses have since reopened.

Enterprise hasn't provided an estimate of how much oil was spilled. There were no injuries related to the incident.

An oil spill from the same pipeline in October kept the line shut for a full week while cleanup and repairs were done.

Write to Dan Molinski at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 01, 2017 12:23 ET (17:23 GMT)

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