Enbridge shuts oil sands pipelines after synthetic crude spill

(Reuters) - Enbridge Inc, Canada's largest pipeline company, said on Saturday that 750 barrels of synthetic oil had spilled from a pipeline serving CNOOC Ltd's Long Lake oil sands project.

Enbridge said it was still investigating the cause of the spill early on Saturday near its Cheecham terminal, about 70 km (43 miles) southeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

The company said that it had also shut down two major oil pipelines serving Canada's oil sands region as a precaution. Shipment on the 345,000 barrels per day Athabasca pipeline and the 350,000 bpd Waupisoo line have been suspended while the company investigates the cause of the Line 37 spill. It gave no estimate for when the lines would re-open.

Enbridge said recent heavy rains in the region may have resulted in ground movements that affected the pipeline. It is working with regulators to assess the cause.