GRAND COULEE, Sask. – An oil pipeline originally planned to run north of Regina may now go south of the city.
Enbridge Pipelines Inc. wants to expand its system by building a new crude oil pipeline between Hardisty, Alta., and Superior, Wisconsin.
The 1,590 kilometre project known as Alberta Clipper is worth $2.4 billion. Most of the line in Canada would run beside the existing Enbridge right-of-way or other companies’ rights-of-way.
Project manager Bill Forbes said the original route was put forward at an open house in White City, Sask., in December.
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“Some of the feedback we received during that open house strongly hinted we should look at other routes,” he said.
The company preferred the original route because it was closer to its terminal in Regina’s north end.
However, the project would have been restricted by existing development in the area, including country residential properties.
The new proposed route requires about 22.5 km of new right-of-way as well as a pump station south of Regina because the company won’t have access to its terminal.
Some landowners invited to an open house in Grand Coulee, Sask., May 3 were concerned that the pipeline’s new proposed route will run too close to where the city will eventually develop to the south.
The construction would branch off the existing Enbridge system northwest of Regina, run between Grand Coulee and Pense to just south of the Trans-Canada Highway and then across more farmland to reconnect with the existing line near Davin.
Forbes said the route allows Enbridge to use some existing Alliance Pipeline right-of-way. He also noted that Enbridge’s current line runs through Regina along Ninth Ave. North, which is one of the busiest traffic routes.
“Pipelines are the safest way to transport oil,” he said.
Brad Shamla, Enbridge’s central region general manager, said the company’s recent pipeline leak at Glenavon, southeast of Regina, is not a common occurrence. That incident is still under investigation.
But Shamla, who is based in Regina, said the ability to shut down and isolate the site within three minutes of the problem being detected through remote monitoring speaks of Enbridge’s commitment to safety.
The company also prides itself on its environmental initiatives.
“By next spring you’ll be hard pressed to tell there was ever a spill there,” he said of the cleanup effort. “I won’t be happy until I can feel good about the end result.”
Enbridge is required to put the land back to its original state after construction or a spill. Farmers are compensated for lost income.
“We’re not here to cause the farmers grief,” Forbes said.
He said technology is used regularly to check the integrity of the steel of the pipeline.
“All are equally safe no matter how old they are,” he said.
The steel pipeline is coated with an epoxy that prevents corrosion and is stimulated with an electric current to keep it from rusting.
Oil pipeline is 914 millimetres, or 36 inches, in diameter, and is placed one metre underground. The Alberta Clipper will be able to move 450,000 barrels per day and could expand to 800,000.
Forbes added that once the public consultation process is complete, land agents will seek permission from owners to survey and observe any wildlife or environmental concerns. An environmental impact assessment and permit will be submitted to the National Energy Board and then a public hearing will be held.
He hoped that hearing would take place after harvest so farmers could participate and that the project could proceed next spring. The line would be in service by the end of 2009.
