Prevention

Safety begins at the factory Putting it all together Coatings Cathodic Protection Keeping in touch Call Before You Dig

Safety begins at the factory

The first steps toward pipeline safety and reliability are taken on the factory floor. Enbridge Pipelines purchases pipe from quality steel pipe production mills. Manufactured to both industry and Enbridge Pipelines specifications, the pipe undergoes a series of rigorous tests and quality control checks. Pipe that does not meet our specifications in the plant is rejected. Third party inspection companies retained by Enbridge Pipelines ensure the final product is of the highest quality and meets all dimensional tolerance requirements.

Putting it all together

Pipeline Integrity interests are maintained through all stages of projects and planning. The construction phase begins when individual pieces of pipe (called pipe joints) are welded together to form a section. To ensure the welds meet Enbridge Pipelines exacting specifications, each undergoes an X-ray test to spot any abnormalities. All new pipeline sections then undergo hydrostatic pressure testing. A section of line is sealed, then filled with water at pressure higher than actual operating pressures. Testing for leaks and proving the line's structural strength under safe, controlled conditions help to ensure reliable long-term performance in the field. (Hydrostatic testing is also sometimes used as a validation of the integrity of lines that have been in service for a number of years.)

As a pipeline company with interprovincial operations, Enbridge Pipelines is required to comply with all National Energy Board Onshore Pipeline Regulations. The Company must meet federal requirements related to pipeline design, construction, operation, maintenance, abandonment, safety and reliability.

As such, Enbridge Pipelines projects go through a rigorous National Energy Board approval process. Construction begins only after detailed environmental studies have also been completed and regulatory agencies are satisfied that the project will have no lasting negative impacts on the land, wildlife habitat or water resources.

Coatings

To safeguard the outside surface of the pipe, Enbridge Pipelines applies protective coatings at the time the pipelines are built. The technology of coatings has evolved substantially over the years, and recently, newer pipeline coatings with improved bonding capability have been developed. Used as a replacement for earlier tape coatings that could separate from the pipe, these new epoxy coatings provide a more effective barrier to the corrosive waters found naturally in the soil.

Cathodic Protection

In all cases, as a backup to protective coatings, Enbridge Pipelines employs a cathodic protection system to control the corrosion of exposed steel. It involves arrangement of 'sacrificial anodes" - metal rods connected to a surface power source that attract corrosion away from the pipeline.

Keeping in touch

Public awareness of pipeline activity is also a vital element of pipeline safety. Enbridge Pipelines ensures that emergency officials and residents along pipeline routes are well informed of all pipeline activities and safety procedures.

For Enbridge, as well as for landowners and communities along the Enbridge Pipelines route, this focus on Pipeline Integrity forms a major step towards ensuring safe, incident-free operations on the world's longest and most complex liquid hydrocarbon pipeline system.

Call Before You Dig

An essential part of ensuring public safety and reducing the risk of pipeline damage is Enbridge's active participation in several communications programs that stress the "Call Before You Dig" message. This message is used in Canada to raise awareness of pipeline safety issues among landowners and the general public. Although the incidence of occurrence is low, the most frequent cause of pipeline incidents, leaks or ruptures remains agricultural and non-pipeline construction activities.

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