Pipeline attacked

On 5 January 2009 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that a deliberate explosion occurred at an EnCana natural gas pipeline near Tomslake, British Columbia, which is located approximately 555 mi/890 km northwest of Calgary. The explosion destroyed a metering shed at a wellhead site, but did not cause gas to leak and did not result in any injuries. The incident was the fourth such attack to occur in the region in recent months; in October 2008 three similar attacks were staged against pipelines in nearby Dawson Creek, where a significant amount of natural gas production takes place. The RCMP has not identified any suspects, but is investigating a letter received by a local media outlet prior to the October 2008 attacks that warned oil and gas companies to cease production in the area. Eco-terrorist groups previously carried out a bombing campaign in nearby Alberta in the 1990s. The RCMP has increased security in the Dawson Creek area following the most recent attack.