Pipeline and System Integrity

Pipelines are proven to be the safest, most efficient way to transport petroleum products. Our ongoing monitoring and maintenance programs contribute to that safe operation.

At Enbridge, we endeavor to be a leader in pipeline and system integrity by:

  • implementing rigorous preventive maintenance programs;
  • pursuing and supporting technology research;
  • participating in industry forums to share and exchange knowledge;
  • contributing to the development of national pipeline safety standards and industry recommended practices;
  • providing technical advisory and training services to pipeline operators around the world; and
  • supporting state and provincial excavation one-call efforts to reduce the risk of third-party damage to pipelines.

By undertaking these initiatives, we maintain high standards of operating and Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) performance and contribute to public confidence in our systems.

Our performance

Broadening system integrity in Liquids Pipelines

Many federal regulations governing our liquids pipelines operations in Canada and the United States focus on system integrity issues. We have set corporate leak reduction targets across our Liquids Pipelines system, and performance goals are now linked to corporate and individual performance and compensation.

We are taking a proactive approach to spill containment and leak reduction. In 2005, we put a major focus on developing spill containment sites by installing berms and pipe systems at key locations in Canada and the United States. We also focused on reducing small leaks and developing new standards and procedures to address facility incidents.

We initiated a Small Piping Integrity Program, which will result in an improved engineering standard for new connections and replacement of existing small piping connections to prevent future leaks.

In 2006, Liquids Pipelines took a further step by establishing a Leak Reduction Team composed of cross-functional departments to assess leak incidents and develop new integrity programs, standards and equipment specification changes, and procedure changes targeted at reducing leaks.

Innovating to improve underwater pipe repair

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and our Liquids Pipelines operation in the United States proved the point in 2005 when it needed to repair a dent on an underwater section of our Lakehead Pipeline system crossing the Mississippi River in north-central Minnesota.

Working with an environmental service company, Enbridge developed an innovative solution – a submersible repair habitat that clamps over pipe and creates a dry space that allows workers access to pipe sections to perform required repairs and keeps this important waterway open for business. The 12,250-kilogram (27,000-pound) submersible is designed to be versatile so that it can be used on 18- to 36-inch pipe sections at water depths of up to nine metres (30 feet).

Designed and constructed initially, but not exclusively, for use on the Mississippi River, the habitat has many benefits. It is less intrusive to the environment and waterway traffic because it does not require damming of the river. It provides workers a normal atmosphere to make a repair using dry welding techniques, rather than using wet welding or other wet repair methods. It also provides a strong, safe and continuously monitored atmosphere for the repair process.

Carrying out pipeline integrity “digs”

Our ongoing program of maintenance “digs” involves excavating sections of pipeline to inspect and repair pipe to maintain high levels of system integrity. In 2005, we completed 350 digs along our mainline Liquids Pipelines system in Canada and the United States.

Our goal is to conduct all maintenance digs to the highest environmental standards. Before beginning work, we complete screening tests to identify environmental issues and measures needed to minimize our impacts to land, vegetation and wildlife. We conduct similar environmental reviews for other small engineering and operation and maintenance projects. We also train inspectors and contractors on safety and environmental requirements and best management practices, and provide environmental specifications for these projects.

Inspecting gas distribution pipe in Toronto

In accordance with pipeline integrity regulations in Ontario, Enbridge Gas Distribution continues to perform in-line inspection of its pipelines that are operating at high stress. In-line inspection is a key part of our inspection program, providing a proactive means to ensure a safe and reliable distribution system. We have been carrying out on schedule our baseline inspection plan, which prioritizes inspection of these pipelines by risk.

In 2005, we completed in-line inspection of the 55-kilometre pipeline that runs between Barrie and Collingwood, Ontario. As a result of data obtained during such in-line inspections, we are able to identify and repair pipeline defects, thereby preventing them from becoming a concern in the future.

Pipeline Integrity Management Program

In 2005, our United States Natural Gas Business focused on its Integrity Management Program (IMP), which was introduced in the previous year to comply with a federal regulation requiring gas transmission pipeline operators to develop such programs for pipelines located where a leak or rupture could do the most harm. Under the regulation, operators are required to: perform ongoing assessments of pipeline integrity; improve data collection, integration, and analysis; repair and remediate pipelines as necessary; and implement preventive and mitigation actions.

Our comprehensive IMP initiatives in 2005 included:

  • assessing pipeline segments that are located in high-consequence areas on a prioritized basis;
  • developing aerial maps to aid in the assessment;
  • adding enhanced processes and procedures to ensure compliance with new regulations regarding audit protocols that were introduced during the year;
  • expanding the Systems Integrity department to manage the added work stemming from the regulation;
  • training personnel about the IMP and developing a new intranet website to communicate our IMP initiatives to all internal stakeholders; and
  • adding a Pipeline Integrity section to the Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. website to communicate the efforts we are making to protect people and the environment while ensuring a reliable energy transportation system.

In the first quarter of 2006, the United States Pipeline Hazardous Materials and Safety Administration (PHMSA) conducted an audit of our United States Natural Gas Business’s IMP. The audit was a joint effort between federal and state inspectors to help ensure compliance with federal safety regulations.

ArcGIS Pipeline Data Management System

In 2005, the United States Natural Gas Business began developing an integrated geographic information system for pipeline data management, which will contribute to compliance with new federal pipeline safety regulations requiring operators to improve data integration and analysis.

Corrosion Control Manual

The United States Natural Gas Business introduced a new Corrosion Control Manual in 2005 to provide guidance on the proper design, installation, operation and maintenance of internal and external corrosion prevention systems for oil and gas pipeline systems.

Hurricane preparedness

In 2005, the United States Natural Gas Business developed new processes and procedures in response to hurricanes Rita and Katrina to aid in the safe return to service of facilities subject to a damaging event.

Enbridge continues to maintain an active risk management program that includes comprehensive insurance coverage, notwithstanding a constrained insurance market. However it is anticipated that related costs will increase in the form of higher insurance premiums and deductibles as well as longer waiting periods for business interruption claims. It is expected that the incidence and severity of windstorm occurrences, and the company’s direct experience in the Gulf of Mexico, will dictate future costs and coverage levels in this region.

Tank integrity management

The United States Natural Gas Business is developing a tank integrity testing program in response to a new United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule requiring testing on a scheduled basis. The rule is part of the EPA’s new spill prevention, control and countermeasure regulations for storage facilities that went into effect in 2006.