If drivers and residents in the R.M. of Lomond see a 40-foot flame being emitted approximately five kilometres northeast of the hamlet of Colgate this Wednesday, July 30th, it is coming from a flare stack temporarily attached to SaskEnergy’s infrastructure.
This is due to a controlled natural gas flaring at the TransGas station site, located within the RM of Lomond, west of Highway 35. Flaring will take place from 6:30 to 10 a.m. tomorrow, subject to change based on operating requirements.
According to a press release from SaskEnergy, the flaring is necessary to perform maintenance work on the natural gas line system in the area and supports the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to SaskEnergy’s customers.
During this process, a portion of the gas line will be isolated from the system, and natural gas will be removed from the line in a controlled burn called a flare. Flaring is an industry standard practice when natural gas needs to be removed from a line, and reduces the carbon footprint of the vented natural gas by 85 per cent.
The area around the flare will be supervised to ensure public safety and residential natural gas service in the area will not be affected.
SaskEnergy has notified the R.M. of Lomond as well as the 737 Volunteer Fire Department about this upcoming event.