Oklahoma Corporation Commission officials were put on notice Tuesday afternoon that an accidental pipeline rupture caused an oil spill near the Cushing oil storage hub site.
Environmental remediation crews are cleaning the area reported by Centurion Pipeline, a subsidiary of Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp.
Eric Moses, a company spokesman, confirmed that the incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Tuesday when a crude oil pipeline was struck by a third-party excavation company.
“Centurion contained the release, notified the appropriate authorities and is assisting with cleanup activities,” said Moses. “Repairs to the line are expected to be completed Wednesday.”
Moses said Centurion is working with other parties to determine the cause of the incident in order to take appropriate measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“We are committed to safeguarding the environment and protecting the safety and health of our employees and neighboring communities,” said Moses.
According to Centurion’s website, the company operates nearly 2,900 miles of pipelines extending from southeast New Mexico through the Permian Basin of west Texas to the Cushing storage facility.
Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesman Matt Skinner said Wednesday that oil spilled on farmland and into a Lincoln County dry creek bed located south of the Cushing facility. It is unknown how much oil spilled during the release.
A Lincoln County emergency management spokesperson indicated there was no danger or threat to the public. The road will be closed until the spill is cleaned up.
