SaskEnergy will be conducting controlled natural gas flaring near the village of Landis this week as part of routine maintenance on its pipeline system.
The flaring will take place at a block valve site roughly two kilometres north of Landis, within the Rural Municipality of Reford. Intermittent flaring is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 6, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and again Thursday, Aug. 7, from 11 a.m. to noon, pending any changes in operational requirements.
During the procedure, residents and motorists in the area may notice a flame of up to 40 feet in height coming from the temporary flare stack connected to SaskEnergy’s infrastructure.
SaskEnergy says the flaring is necessary to safely isolate and depressurize a section of the natural gas line in order to perform maintenance. The company notes that flaring is a standard industry practice that allows for natural gas to be released and burned in a controlled manner, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 per cent compared to venting.
The area around the flare site will be monitored by SaskEnergy personnel throughout the operation to ensure public safety. The company also confirmed that natural gas service to nearby residents will not be affected.
Both the RM of Reford and the Landis Fire Department have been advised of the upcoming activity.