Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reports pipeline spills following regulatory exemption

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) has reported 45 incidents involving its pipelines since 2020, including numerous spills of natural gas and other toxic substances caused by metal corrosion in aging infrastructure.

These incidents followed a 2020 decision by the BC Energy Regulator to exempt approximately 4,300 of the company’s pipelines from standard decommissioning requirements. Under normal regulations, inactive pipelines must be fully decommissioned within 18 months. The exemption allows these pipelines to remain in the ground indefinitely after being sealed off.

While CNRL has stated that these incidents caused “no impact” to the environment, critics have raised concerns regarding the regulator's decision to allow delayed remediation for these assets.