Pipe leaks 140,000 gallons of NGL into Missouri River

A leak in a natural gas liquids pipeline operated by Enterprise Products Partners has spilled 140,000 gallons (about 3,300 barrels) of fuel into the Missouri River, the company said on Monday.

Controllers detected a pressure drop early on Saturday in a section of the 33,600-barrels-per-day pipeline between Decatur, Nebraska and Onawa, Iowa and immediately shut the pipe down, company spokesman Rick Rainey said.

Rainey said the leak may have sprung in an area that usually is on a dry riverbed but was underwater following recent flooding.

The pipeline supplies Midwest markets and is part of Enterprise's mid-America segment, which has a 2,800-mile (4,480-km) network in its northern tier.

The company said it had not detected any natural gas liquids on the surface of the river when it conducted a flyover and that most of the products had dissipated quickly.

Enterprise is attempting to isolate the leak while recovering products, Rainey said. The company will need approval from the Department of Transportation to restart the pipeline.