Pipelines in Canada

Pipelines in Canada are important components of energy infrastructure in Canada as the majority of natural gas and oil deposits are located in landlocked Alberta and need to be transported to ports or terminals to access larger markets.

Professional associations

The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA), whose 2019 members included Alliance Pipeline (natural gas), ATCO Pipelines (natural gas), Enbridge, Inter Pipeline, Pembina Pipeline (oil and natural gas), Plains All American Pipeline known also as Plains Midstream Canada, TC Energy (oil and natural gas), TransGas's TransGas Pipelines, Trans Mountain pipeline, Trans Northern Pipelines, and Calgary-based Calgary-based Wolf Midstream Inc.'s pipeline, was formed in 1993.[1][2] CEPA members transporting most of the natural gas and crude oil from Canada to other North American markets.[1]

Since 2015, Chris Bloomer, a geoscientist, who had formerly served in executive positions at Shell Canada, Connacher Oil and Gas, and Petrobank Energy and Resources, replaced Brenda Kenny, who served as president and CEO since 2008.[3] Since 2015, CEPA, has provided an interactive map of its members' pipelines in Canada, including those under construction or newly completed, such as the Trans Mountain pipeline, and TC Energy's Keystone Pipeline expansion—Keystone XL—and its Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project.[4]

According to their 2020 performance report, some of the issues upon which they focus include environmental issues including the impact of climate change, pipeline integrity, and emergency responses, relationships with First Nations communities, regulatory policy, as well as health and safety.[2]

In a September 30, 2020 Calgary Herald article, with the oil and gas industry experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic economic slump,[5] CEPA CEO Bloomer was cited as stressing that Canada needs to "tout" its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in order to "attract new investment, expand oil and natural gas production, and get pipelines built".[6]

Regulation and ownership

Regulation

The Canadian federal government regulates around 10% (by length) of pipelines through the Canadian Energy Regulator.[7] The Regulator has precedence over provincial regulation when pipelines cross provincial or international boundaries.

Provincially each provinces has its own regulator listed below:

Provincial Pipeline Regulators in Canada
Province Ministry Regulator
Alberta Ministry of Energy (Alberta) Alberta Energy Regulator[8]
Ontario Ministry of Energy (Ontario) Ontario Energy Board[8]
British Columbia Ministry of Energy (British Columbia) British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission[8]
Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy (Saskatchewan) Ministry of Energy (Saskatchewan) [8]
Manitoba Directly supervised by Manitoba Legislature Manitoba Public Utilities Board[8]
New Brunswick Ministry of Natural Resources (New Brunswick) New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board[8]
Quebec Multiple Régie de l’énergie du Québec

Régie du bâtiment du Québec

Ministère de la Sécurité publique

Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques

Ministère de la Justice

Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs  

Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec

Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail

Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec

Sûreté du Québec

Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement

Info Excavation[8]

Newfoundland and Labrador N/A None (no pipelines are present in Newfoundland and Labrador)[9]
Prince Edward Island N/A None (no pipelines are present in PEI)[10]
Nova Scotia Ministry of Finance (Nova Scotia) Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board[8]

Rejected and abandoned pipelines

Proposed pipelines in Canada
Owner(s) Name Terminal Terminal Map Status
TC Energy, ExxonMobil Alaska gas pipeline Alaska North Slope Calgary, Alberta Rejected
Enbridge Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines Bruderheim, Alberta Kitimat, British Columbia Rejected
Imperial Oil, The Aboriginal Pipeline Group, ConocoPhillips, Shell Canada, ExxonMobil Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Mackenzie Valley Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories Abandoned
TC Energy Energy East Hardisty, Alberta Saint John, New Brunswick Rejected[11]
TC Energy Keystone XL Hardisty, Alberta Patoka, Illinois, Port Arthur, Texas, Houston Abandoned[12][13]

Proposed pipelines

Proposed pipelines in Canada
Owner(s) Name Terminal Terminal Map Status Status

(as of date)

35 First Nations groups Eagle Spirit Pipeline Northern Alberta Prince George, British Columbia Applied for
Enbridge Enbridge Line 3 Hardisty, Alberta Superior, Wisconsin Applied for

Operating pipelines

Pipelines in Canada
Owner(s) Name Substance Terminal Terminal Map
Enbridge, Pembina Alliance Pipeline Natural gas
Emera Brunswick Pipeline Natural gas Saint John, New Brunswick Woodland, Maine
TC Energy Gas Transmission Northwest Natural gas Kingsgate, British Columbia Malin, Oregon
TC Energy Great Lakes Transmission Natural gas
TC Energy, Dominion Resources, KeySpan Corporation, New Jersey Resources Corporation, Energy East Corporation Iroquois Pipeline Natural gas
Enbridge, Emera, ExxonMobil Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline Natural gas Goldboro, Nova Scotia Dracut, Massachusetts
TC Energy, ONEOK Partners Northern Border Pipeline Natural gas
Williams Companies Northwest Pipeline Natural gas
TC Energy TransCanada pipeline Natural gas
Emera Brunswick Pipeline Natural gas Saint John, New Brunswick Woodland, Maine
SaskEnergy TransGas pipeline Natural gas
Enbridge, DTE Energy Company Vector Pipeline Natural gas
Portland Pipe Line Corporation (in the United States)

Montreal Pipe Line Limited (in Canada)

Montreal—Portland pipeline Oil South Portland, Maine Montreal, Quebec
Enbridge Canadian Mainline (Line 1, Line 2 A, Line 3, Line 4, Line 65, and Line 67)[14] Oil Edmonton, Alberta Gretna, Manitoba
Enbridge US Mainline (Line 1, Line 2 B, Line 3, Line 4, Line 5, Line 6, Line 14, Line 61, Line 62, Line 64, Line 67, Line 78)[14] Oil Gretna, Manitoba Sarnia, Ontario and Flagan, Illinois
Enbridge Line 13 (Southern Lights pipeline) Oil
Enbridge Line 72 (AOC Hanging Stone) Oil
Trans Mountain Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Canada Development Investment Corporation Trans Mountain pipeline Oil and refined petroleum liquids Edmonton, Alberta Burnaby, British Columbia
TC Energy Coastal GasLink Pipeline Natural gas Dawson Creek, British Columbia Kitimat, British Columbia


Pipeline Infrastructure in Canada

References

  1. ^ a b "About". Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA). 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b CEPA 2020 Transmission Pipeline Industry Performance Report (PDF). Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA) (Report). 2020. p. 24. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Rose, James (November 25, 2015). "Canadian Energy Pipeline Association announces Chris Bloomer as new President & CEO". BOE Report. Calgary, Alberta. Retrieved January 16, 2021. The name of the BOE Report refers to the Barrel of Oil Equivalent (BOE)—an "energy unit frequently used in the oil and gas industry to identify a company’s combined crude oil and natural gas production. A BOE is calculated by converting six thousand cubic feet (mcf) of natural gas to one barrel of oil."
  4. ^ "CEPA Interactive Map". Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  5. ^ Eaton, Collin; Santiago, Luis (September 30, 2020). "Troubles in the Oil Patch: Low Prices to Lost Jobs". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Varcoe, Chris (September 30, 2020). "Despite COVID impact, Canada will need more pipelines for oilpatch to grow". Calgary Herald. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "Canadian Pipelines Maps & Facts". Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h "Pipeline Safety Regimes in Canada". Canadian Energy Regulator.
  9. ^ "Provincial and Territorial Energy Profiles – Newfoundland and Labrador". Canadian Energy Regulator.
  10. ^ "Provincial and Territorial Energy Profiles – Prince Edward Island". Canadian Energy Regulator.
  11. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/transcanada-won-t-proceed-with-energy-east-pipeline-1.4338227?cmp=rss, CBC News (October 5, 2017).
  12. ^ Puko, Timothy (2021-06-09). "Keystone XL Oil Project Abandoned by Developer". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
  13. ^ Brown, Matthew (2021-06-09). "Keystone XL pipeline nixed after Biden stands firm on permit". AP News. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
  14. ^ a b "Enbridge Mainline System" (PDF). Enbridge.