Latest revision as of 22:54, 3 February 2023

Origins

ENBRIDGE is an oil transport company that was first established in 1949 by Imperial Oil as an Interprovincial Pipeline Company (IPL) with its first Headquarters established in Toronto, Canada, and currently located in Calgary, CA. ENBRIDGE has had a long history of pipeline expansions all over North America and has been considered the largest transporter of crude oil and tar sands in Canada and the United States. It transports around 28% of the crude oil produced in both nations, extending approximately 17,809 miles (28,661 Kilometers), delivering more than 4 billion barrels of crude oil a year.

Its significant offices are located in Houston, Edmonton, Toronto, Duluth, MN, Superior, WI, and Chatham, ON.

Environmental Litigation

Enbridge pipelines have stretched from the Great Lake to the Mississippi River and come with a history of controversial environmental litigation cases initiated both by indigenous-led groups, whose land sovereignty has constantly been undermined by the company with even the targeting and labeling of The Tribal Nations as a threat ^[1] and locally concerned activists and residents who have also been vocal about their biggest concerns, among those; the spills across waterways when pipes rupture, the destruction of rich marshlands, and the greenhouse gas emissions from burning the crude oil the pipelines carry.

Pipeline systems

Enbridge's crude oil and fossil gas system extends 9,299 miles (14,96 km) in the United States and 8,510 miles (13,696 km) in Canada. The equivalent to 30% of crude oil produced in North America, 65% of U.S.-bound Canadian exports, and a total of 40% of U.S. Crude oil imports.^[2] ^[3] Enbridge also operates North America's third-largest fossil gas utility.

Mainline system

Line 1

Opened in 1950 with its beginning point in Edmonton, Alberta, and ending in Superior, Wisconsin, approximately 1,098 miles with a capacity to transport around 237,000 barrels per day. It transports light synthetics, gas liquids, and refined products, and its about 1,098 miles (1,767 km) in length.

Line 3

Despite the fact that Enbridge was responsible for the 1991 largest inland oil spill in the U.S. ^[4] with Line 3. Enbridge claims a 99.9999979% of safety delivery record. which extends from Hardisty, Alberta in Canada to Superior, Wisconsin in the United State (1,031 miles - 1,659 km) currently with a proposed reroute which has from the beginning raised concerns about its safety; quoting environmental groups, tribal nations and community members in Minnesota;

”The pipeline violates treaties with the Ojibwe people that establish their right to hunt, fish, and gather along the proposed route. If rerouted, the line would carry hundreds of thousands of barrels a day of tar sands crude oil - considered one of the dirtiest oil in the world and therefore equivalent to 50 coal plants worth of pollution to the atmosphere"

The accident with Line 3, puts into question the safety measures taken by Enbridge, in spite of the fact they claim a 99.9999979% safety success rate as stated on the company's website ^[5]. It was later discovered Enbridge had enough data stating the structural anomalies; which are about 1 in every 10 feet, placing line 3 in a deterioration state.

Line 4

(Fond du Lac Line)

Started operating in 2002 and transports an estimated 796,000 barrels per day of heavy crude oil throughout its 1,100 miles in length. Extending from Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin.

Line 5

Originates in Superior, Wisconsin, and wraps up in Sarnia, Ontario, traveling through the Upper and Lower Peninsulas in The State of Michigan in the U.S., then to the southeast of the Rapid River; its capable of carrying up to 540,000 barrels of synthetic crude, fossil gas, liquids, sweet, and light sour crude oil per day. Line 5 started operating in 1953 and extends to 645 miles in length.

Once the line reaches the northern shore of Lake Michigan, it divides into two separate lines that reunite at the southern side of the Straits of Mackinac. The line is as well connected with Line 6 and Line 7 at the east across the St. Clair River to Ontario with line 6 and then in the Sarnia-area transfers to Line 7.^[6]

There was a purpose replacement project in February 2020 to expand Line 5 to 0.5 km and it's set to begin in the year 2024.^[7]

Line 6

Started operating in 1969, Line 6 consists of two separate pipelines with Line 6A starting in Superior, Wisconsin, and wrapping up in Griffith, Indiana then connecting to Line 6B in Griffith and ending in Sarnia, Ontario. The lines combined transport an estimated 667,000 barrels per day, along its 465 miles.

Line 6B Reconstruction

Following the The Dilbit Disaster in the Kalamazoo River in July 2010. Enbridge spent over $2.63 billion to replace Line 6B, currently known as Line 78 and doubled its capacity to 500,000 barrels per day.

Line 7

Extending 120 miles (193 km), Line 7 started operating in 1957 with its route starting in Sarnia, Ontario, and wrapping up in Westover, Canada. It had the original capacity to carry around 140,000 barrels per day. In 2013, The Canadian National Energy Board extended its capacity by 40,000 barrels (180,000 in total).

The approval of the expansion for this 57-year-old pipeline came with great concerns from the public due to the fact, it got its approval without any public hearings and just three years after the incident with line 6B that filled the Kalamazoo Rover with the equivalent of 20,000 barrels of crude oil, considered one of the worst in-land spills in history. ^[8]

Line 78A and 78B

78A connects to line 6 in the intersection with Griffith/Hartsdale and Stockbridge and it's 264 miles long (425 Km). Once in Stockbridge, it divides into two and connects Line 7 in Sarnia with Line 78B. 78B is about 109 miles long (175 Km) and transports light, medium, and heavy crude.

Line 10

With its starting point in North Westover, Ontario, and wrapping up in West Seneca, New York. Line 10 started operating in 1962, it's about 143 km long and transports 74,000 barrels daily.

Westover Segment Replacement

The Canadian National Energy Board approved in January 2017, Enbridge's $219-million project to replace 32 km of the existing 12-inch-diameter pipeline with 35km of 20-inch-diameter pipe in southern Ontario with the intention of boosting its capacity to 74,200 barrels per day and connecting the Westover Terminal to their Nanticoke Junction Facility in rural Hamilton. ^[9]

Opposition

The approval of the replacement came with opposition from environmental groups concerned about potential spills with the main concerns coming from Indigenous people and tribes, especially from Todd Williams and Wayne Hill, two Haudenosaunee men who spent months trying to disrupt the pipeline operation.^[10]. Williams and Hill were asked to pay Enbridge $25,381.81 in legal fees but were given the option of opting out of the payment if they made the promise of staying away from interrupting Enbridge's efforts and construction plans.

Line 11

Enbridge line 11 started operating in 1971 with its starting point located at Enbridge's Westover Station, near Hamilton, Ontario; ending in Nanticoke, Ontario. It is 47 miles (76 km) in length and transports around 117,000 barrels per day.

Replacement

In October 2014, Enbridge started working on the replacement of 3.2 km of the existing 508mm downstream of the Westover Station in the new ROW for line 11. The replacement was completed on June 30, 2015, with the replaced segment decommissioned on March 1, 2015.^[11]

Line 55

Most commonly known as Spearhead Oil Pipeline, Line 55 only extends only throughout the United States, starting at the Flanagan Terminal in Pontiac, Illinois; all the way to Cushing, Oklahoma - wrapping up at Enbridge's Crushing Terminal. This pipeline was acquired from British Petrolum and expanded to transport 193,000 barrels per day.

Line 55 is also divided into three different Projects:

Line 51 project

Has the capacity to transport 190,000 barrels per day; it's about 443 miles long (712.9 km) and its infrastructure is associated with Line 3.

Line 55 project

Has the same capacity as line 51 of 190,000 barrels a day with a small difference in length (590 miles - 949.5 km) compared to 51 and is also associated with Line 3.

Line 59 project

The same capacity of 190,000 barrels a day. It's 592 miles in length.

Line 62

It's also known as line 78A, it's 75 miles long and it connects Line 6 with Line 78A at the Stockbridge terminal and Line 64 to Line 55 which wraps up in Enbridge's Cushing Terminal.

Line 14/64

Beginning in Enbridge's Superior Terminal in Superior, Wisconsin to Enbridge's Griffith/Hartsdale terminal near Griffith, Indiana. Line 14, which started operating in 1998, transports 317.600 barrels of light crude oil per day and It is 487 miles long. Most of the oil it transports goes to the Chicago area refineries; Joliet refinery, Lemont refinery, and Whiting refinery.^[12]

Incident

In 2012, Line 14 had a leak that spilled about 1,200 barrels of oil near the town of Grand Marsh, located in Adams County in Wisconsin. This came two years after the Enbridge spill in the Kalamazoo River in Michigan with Line 6B.^[13]

Line 61

Also known as the 'Southern Access Project'; it Originates at Enbridge's Superior Terminal in Superior, Wisconsin, leading to Enbridge's Flanagan Terminal in Pontiac, Illinois. Line 61 started operating in 2009 and it's able to transport 1.2 million barrels per day through all its four expansions and, is 462 miles in length.

Oil Sand system

^[14]

Line 18 (Waupisoo Oil Pipeline)

Enbridge Line 18 started operating in June 2008 and is an onshore pipeline project that transports tar sands oil from Enbridge's Cheetham Terminal near Fort McMurray in Alberta to Edmonton, Alberta. Line 18 is 236 miles (380 km) in length and has the capacity to transport 600,000 barrels of tar sands in a day. ^[15]

Line 75 (Wood Buffalo Pipeline)

Line 75 travels for 59 miles (95 km) from Enbridge's Athabasca Pipeline to the Cheetham Terminal and has the capacity to annually transport 550,000 barrels of diluted bitumen (dilbit) and other Suncor oil sands.

Line 45 (Wood Buffalo Extension)

Line 45, has the capacity to annually transport 800,000 barrels and runs from Cheetham to Kirby Lake where it connects to the Athabasca Pipeline Twin and delivers to the Hardisty area.^[16]. It is roughly 65 miles (106 km) in length and 36-inch diameter.^[17]

Line 19 (Athabasca Pipeline)

The Athabasca Pipeline stretches 337 miles (542 km) connecting oil tar sands from the Athabasca field on Suncor's Oil Sands plant near Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada to Enbridge's main pipeline system. It has the capacity to transport 345,000 barrels of oil per day of Heavy Crude Oil.^[18]

When it first opened on March 31, 1999; it was considered a critical piece of infrastructure for the expansion of bitumen mining and tar sands development, linking the petroleum resources of northern Alberta to Canada's existing crude oil network.

Spills and environmental concerns

Since the line started operating in 1999 and due to the route's rugged terrain; the pipeline raised concerns, especially coming from the First Nation communities in the surrounding areas. The line crosses through forest and muskeg areas which are largely inaccessible through most of the winter; including two major rivers, The Athabasca and The North Saskatchewan rivers on its way to Enbridge's main pipeline system, which runs all the way into the United States. ^[19]

In 2004 the Athabasca pipeline had its first spill of the equivalent of 1,635 barrels of crude oil when a valve failed and in 2008, 252 barrels of crude oil were released when a drain line failed near Fort McMurray in Alberta; as well in 2009 it had another leak near Cheetham, Alberta where approximately 5,749 barrels were spilled, contaminating an area of 450 meters by 1,500 meters.

The Energy Resources Conservation Board has estimated that around 1,450 barrels of heavy crude oil have been spilled from Enbridge's Athabasca pipeline. Even stated;

"no social, environmental or safety issues were raised by the intervenors"

The Alberta's Oil Spill History is very long and troubled with oil pipeline ruptures.^[20]

Line 45 (Athabasca Pipeline Twin)

Line 45 transports light and heavy crude oil starting from Fort McMurray, Alberta to Hardisty. It has a capacity of 800,000 barrels per day, 285 miles (454 km), and is a 36-inch diameter pipeline.

Line 74 (Norlite Diluent)

Line 74 is a 489 km-long pipeline; it has the capacity to transport an average of 218,000 barrels and is expandable to 465,000 barrels per day. It brings diluent products such as; condensate or synthetic crude oil from the Edmonton/Fort Saskatchewan area to the Oil Sands region.^[21]

Line 49 (Woodland Pipeline)

Line 49 provides transport services from the Kearl Oil Sands Project to the Edmonton area and has an average capacity of 540,000 barrels per day and is expandable to 800,000 barrels and is 85 miles (137 km) in length. The Woodland Pipeline is a joint venture partnership with Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil.

Line 70 (Woodland Extension)

The woodland Extension Pipeline is a 36-inch-diameter crude oil pipeline that travels 240 miles (387 km) from Cheetham Terminal to Enbridge's Edmonton terminal. Both lines 49 and 70 have an average annual capacity of 540,000 barrels per day, expandable to handle up to 800,000 barrels per day. ^[22]

Line 50 (Norealis Pipeline)

This pipeline has the capacity to transport 90,000 barrels per day through it 70 miles (113km) that originate at Husky Sunrise, near Fort McMurray, AB, and terminating at Enbridge's Cheetham Terminal, also near Fort McMurray.

Fossil Gas transmission and midstream network

Enbridge transport 20% of all the fossil gas consumed in the United States with a network that stretches 76,546 miles (123,189 km) all across North America and offshore the Gulf of México. The network includes 48,500 miles of gathering pipe and 5,650 miles of gas and NGL transmission pipe owned and operated by DCP Midstream. ^[23] It is also Canada's largest fossil gas utility with a 3.9 million meter connection in Ontario and Quebec.

Enbridge is connected to the most prolific fossil gas supply and largest demand centers such as New York, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, and Mexico's export markets.

U.S. Transmission

Enbridge is the largest fossil gas supplier to New England, the Southeast, and virtually all of Florida. It is also the largest offshore fossil gas transporter in the Gulf of Mexico with 11 active fossil gas transmission and gathering pipelines, 40% of the total offshore gas production, and 50% of deepwater fossil gas production.

In 2004 Enbridge acquired offshore assets from Shell Oil, as part of its goal to become a key energy player in the Gulf of Mexico. Ever since then Enbridge's deep water projects grew significantly connecting oil and gas reservoirs and to this day the company has a handful of projects lined up for expansion in the area. ^[24]

Texas Eastern Trasmission

Connects Texas and the Gulf South with the northeastern U.S., It supplies fuel for the electric generation facilities in the area and transports 12.04 Bcf/d of fossil gas.

Valley Crossing Pipeline

It's a Texas-sourced fossil gas supply that has the capacity to transport up to 2.6 billion Bcd/d gas to Mexico's state-owned power utility Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE). It is also responsible for transporting more than 10% of the average daily fossil gas for the entire state of Texas.

Southeast Supply Header

It's an onshore fossil gas supply that extends 287 miles from the basins of East Texas and northern Louisiana to Southeast markets in the Gulf of Mexico. It has a capacity of 1.09 Bcf/d.

Gulfstream

It's an offshore pipeline that extends from southern Mobile County, Alabama to across the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida. It has the capacity to deliver 1.30 Bcf/d of fossil gas and is co-owned by Williams Partners.

East Tennessee

It delivers 1.86 Bcf/d fossil gas to meet the demands of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. It's 1,526 miles in length and begins in Tennessee and extends to an area just south of Roanoke, Virginia.

Algonquin Gas Transmission

It's 1,129 miles and transports 3.12 Bcf/d of fossil gas through New England, New York, and New Jersey.

Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline

It's an 888 miles pipeline with 346 of those in the US. It's both offshore and onshore LNG sourced from Atlantic Canada to the rest of North America and it extends from Nova Scotia into New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Sabal Trail

It's a 517-mile interstate pipeline system in charge of delivering gas to the southeast of the US and has the capacity for 1.03 Bcf/d.

NEXUS Gas Transmission

It's a 257-mile interstate pipeline system for the US Midwest (Ohio, Michigan, and the Chicago area). It is also co-owned with DT Midstream.

Vector Pipeline

It is a 348-mile pipeline connecting with Alliance Pipeline and other pipelines near Chicago and delivers to the local distribution and end-user customers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ontario; as well as the NEXUS gas transmission.

Canadian Transmission

Mostly consists of two major pipelines (the BC Pipeline and the Alliance Pipeline), that connect the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin with the rest of North America.

BC Pipeline

Stretches from Fort Nelson to the Canada/US border at Huntingdon-Sumas (2,953 km - 1,835 miles); it transports 3.6 Bcf/d of fossil gas and consists of two systems: Transmission North (T-North) and Transmission South (T-South). Both the North and South systems are underway of being expanded.

Alliance Pipeline

Stretches from the southeast in British Columbia to Chicago, U.S. (3,848 km - 2,391 miles). It carries 1.6 Bcf/d or rich gas which it takes to the Aux Sable processing facility.

Investors and Partners

According to the corporate mapping project^[25], the 12 largest shareholders on Enbridge's list are: Capital Group Co. Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Noverco Inc, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Province of Quebec, Vanguard Group, Canada Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Power Corporation of Canada, FMR LLC, Deutsche Bank AG. Enbridge also receives over $12 billion of financing via loans and revolving credit facilities; these loans include $4.39 billion from the Toronto-Dominion Bank, $2.2 billion from the Bank of Nova Scotia, and $1.11 billion from the Bank of Montreal. ^[26]

Enbridge is also a 50% owner of Alliance Pipeline and in 2016 it began acquiring Spectra Energy, both of which are fossil gas producers in both Canada and The United States.

Sources

[1] ttps://theintercept.com/2022/01/23/enbridge-pipeline-line-3-tracking-indigenous-protesters/

[2] ttps://www.enbridge.com/about-us/liquids-pipelines

[3] ttps://www.enbridge.com/~/media/Enb/Documents/Factsheets/FS_ENB_Mainline_system.pdf

[4] ttps://www.stopline3.org/news/2017/3/6/appy-anniversary-the-largest-inland-oil-spill-in-us-history-happened-today-in-minnesota

[5] ttps://www.enbridge.com/about-us/liquids-pipelines

[6] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20140331082341/http://www.enbridgeus.com/WorkArea/downloadasset/15468/2012_Q1%20System%20Configuration.aspx

[7] ttps://widnr.widen.net/s/pmjdl6pbpd/el5_drafteis_dec2021_vol1-deis

[8] ttps://www.vice.com/en/article/4w57kp/enbridges-line-7-pipeline-has-been-approved-to-up-its-capacity-by-40000-barrel

[9] ttps://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/applications-hearings/view-applications-projects/line-10-westover/index.htmlf

[10] ttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/enbridge-1.4139477

[11] ttps://docs2.cer-rec.gc.ca/ll-eng/llisapi.dll/fetch/2000/90464/90552/92263/2671190/2882977/2908611/2883130/A74506-28_Appendix_4.21_-_Presentation_Hamilton_Conservation_Authority_-_A4W2T0.pdf?nodeid=2882577&vernum=-2

[12] ttp://abarrelfull.wikidot.com/enbridge-line-14-oil-pipeline

[13] ttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/wisconsin-oil-spill-enbridge-energy_n_1713668

[14] ttps://www.enbridge.com/-/media/Enb/Documents/maps/2022-LPCH/2022_RB_Oil_Sands_Regional_System_Configuration_Jan2022.pdf?rev=34ff101a216b4229994733e1eeb6f9da&hash=92B91209B96189D7EAF6CC8B2BC92615

[15] ttp://abarrelfull.wikidot.com/waupisoo-heavy-crude-oil-pipeline

[16] ttps://www.enbridge.com/reports/2022-liquids-pipelines-customer-handbook/oil-sands-infrastructure

[17] ttps://majorprojects.alberta.ca/details/Wood-Buffalo-Crude-Oil-Pipeline-Extension

[18] ttp://abarrelfull.wikidot.com/athabasca-heavy-crude-oil-pipeline

[19] ttps://www.seankheraj.com/alberta-oil-pipeline-spills-past-and-present-the-enbridge-athabasca-pipeline-heavy-crude-oil-spill/

[20] ttps://www.seankheraj.com/albertas-oil-spill-history/

[21] ttps://www.hydrocarbons-technology.com/projects/norlite-diluent-pipeline-alberta/

[22] ttps://www.enbridge.com/~/media/Enb/Documents/Factsheets/FS_EnergyInfrastructureAssets.pdf?la=en#:~:text=The%20Norealis%20Pipeline%20(Line%2050,to%20270%2C000%20barrels%20per%20day.

[23] ttps://www.enbridge.com/media-center/enbridge-quick-facts

[24] ttps://www.enbridge.com/stories/2015/february/enbridge-offshore-pipelines-10th-anniversary

[25] ttps://www.corporatemapping.ca/profiles/enbridge/#easy-footnote-bottom-6-1809

[26] ttps://www.greenpeace.org/usa/research/four-tar-sands-pipelines-are-heavily-financed-by-25-key-banks/

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Enbridge: Difference between revisions