Energy company Plains Midstream is facing charges stemming from an oil leak that occurred in one of its Canadian pipelines in 2012, reported Global News. The organization is being cited for issues related to improper inspections as well as a failure to initially report the incident.

"The leak from the company's Rangeland pipeline on June 7, 2012, resulted in nearly half a million liters of oil being released," The Calgary Herald wrote. "The U.S.-based company had also had a pipeline leak in 2011 of 4.5 million liters of oil near Peace River in northern Alberta. Three charges were laid in connection with the incident in April 2013 but the company has yet to enter a plea."

It is cleat that Plains Midstream has not been taking oil pipeline requirements seriously, and is not overseeing inspections as frequently as it should be. Oil leaks are a deadly reality in this business, one that can not only impact a company financially, but can also have irreversible consequences on the environment in which the company's equipment resides.

Oil leaks need to be prevented
Oil is essential to modern energy provision. But that being said, all it takes is one slip-up to put an entire organization in danger - not to mention the water, earth and wildlife that surround the necessary pipelines. 

Part of this preparedness comes from performing regular inspections of equipment. Predictive preventive maintenance is critical to take on in order to circumvent possible leaks and spills. By using modern scanners and software, oil businesses can get a better idea of what parts need to be replaced before a disaster has a chance to occur, keeping the company in good standing both financially and with the public. 

Prevent unplanned downtime of critical assets by using Scanimetrics?' predictive maintenance solutions.