That a small amount of crude oil in the wrong place at the wrong time can have big political impact says more about politics than crude oil.

After less than 6 bbl of crude leaked from the Trans Mountain pipeline 20 km southwest of Merritt, BC, on Jan. 13, activists responded with typical exaggeration.

"This spill is yet another reminder of just how dangerous these pipelines are to British Columbians and our quality of life," said a "climate change campaigner" at the Wilderness Committee, Vancouver.

Pipelines are a volatile subject in British Columbia. Kinder Morgan wants to expand Trans Mountain's capacity for carrying oil from Edmonton, Alta., to Vancouver to 890,000 bpd.