Watch the video above: Experts test limits of Saskatchewan gas fire
REGINA – A natural gas cavern continues to spew flames in rural Saskatchewan after a reported explosion on the Thanksgiving long weekend.
SaskEnergy/TransGas spokesman Dave Burdeniuk says the fire is approximately 18 metres high.
The blaze started around 10:10 a.m. Saturday at the TransGas natural gas storage facility south of Prud’homme, Sask.
TransGas has been working with Alberta-based Safety Boss, a specialist in oil and well fire suppression.
Crews have suited up twice to go right up to the flames to inspect the wellhead and see how badly it’s been damaged.
Crews will conduct a third attempt using water cannons to cool off the area to have a better inspection on Sunday. A large amount of water will be needed due to temperatures exceeding 815 to 1093 degrees °C.
WATCH: Natural gas continues to burn at TransGas facility NE of Saskatoon
Burdeniuk says it doesn’t matter how much water is used; the gas must be shut off in order to put out the fire.
Experts will once again confer with TransGas engineers – and either later Sunday or at the latest early Monday morning – attempt to extinguish the blaze using two existing valves.
If the plan fails, another option would include replacing part or all of the wellhead over top of the cavern.
Specialists say it can often take several days for extinguishing and staging. Burdeniuk says safety is priority number one.
Four nearby farm families, totalling 13 people, have been evacuated. No injuries have been reported.
Air quality monitoring is being done and as of this time there are no contaminants present. The ‘sweet gas’ expelling from the cavern is what enters a typical furnace.
This cavern was solution-mined in 1969 and this is the first fire for all 26 caverns in the province. The six other underground caverns at the site are secure.
Safety Boss has brought water cannons from Red Deer, Alta. and water tankers have been made available.
TransGas believes something failed at the facility which allowed gas to breach, but an investigation will be undertaken once it is safe to do so.
RCMP still have a perimeter set up around the site.
Amber Rockliffe contributed to this story
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