COEUR d'ALENE - ConocoPhillips investigators probing for a possible fuel leak could announce the reason for the pipeline's red flags today, the company said.

The company has been investigating the 6-mile stretch of the Yellowstone Pipeline between Enaville and Cataldo after a slow drop in pressure was detected just over a week ago, raising questions about a possible leak. Friday, the company floated an acoustic device called a "smart ball" inside the 10-inch diameter pipeline to pinpoint possible irregularities, and Saturday the company was studying the data.

"The 'smart ball' is out of the pipeline," ConocoPhillips spokesman Jeff Callender said. "We're going through the process of downloading and analyzing all the information."

The company hopes to release the results by this morning, he said. It's continuing aerial surveillance along the line, which runs along the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, and crosses under the river in a couple places.

ConocoPhillips is the majority owner and operator of the Yellowstone Pipeline, which was installed in 1954, he said.