Worker was killed while performing a routine water transfer, says employer
A worker is dead following an incident at a natural gas facility in northeast British Columbia.
The incident occurred on Aug. 27 near Tourmaline Oil's Aitken Creek gas plant, situated more than 120 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John, according to a CBC report. Tourmaline said a third-party contractor was killed while performing a routine water transfer, according to the publication.
Tourmaline Oil operates the Aitken Creek gas processing complex (including the Aitken Creek North asset and ongoing C-38-C plant expansion) located in the Northeast British Columbia Montney complex.
The company confirmed the RCMP and WorkSafeBC were notified immediately following the death.
The B.C. Coroner Service has confirmed it is investigating the Aug. 27 death at the Aitken Gas Plant, adding a second regulatory body to the case beyond WorkSafeBC. According to Energeticcity.ca, the Coroner's Service said the investigation "remains open" but declined to provide further details.
WorkSafeBC separately confirmed to Energeticcity.ca that it has classified its probe as a "serious investigation"
WorkSafeBC stated the purpose of its probe is to "identify and understand the occupational health and safety factors that contributed to the incident, so that similar incidents can be prevented in the future,” accoridng to CBC.
Company response
In a statement quoted by CBC, Tourmaline said: "The safety of everyone working on our sites is our highest priority." The company added that it is "undertaking a full investigation and working in collaboration with WorkSafeBC throughout this process."
Tourmaline also offered condolences in its statement, saying: "Our thoughts are with the individual's family, friends, and coworkers during this incredibly difficult time."
The company has not released further details about the contractor's identity, employer, or the specific circumstances surrounding the water transfer at the time of the incident.
Earlier incident
This is the second death at a Tourmaline-operated facility in recent memory. A worker was killed at the company's Gundy gas plant in April 2025, located roughly 150 kilometres north of Fort St. John.
Neither Tourmaline nor WorkSafeBC has indicated publicly whether the two fatalities share common causal factors, and no findings connecting the two incidents have been released.
