With proper design, construction, operation and maintenance, pipelines have a very long life.
At Enbridge, the safety of people, and protection of the environment, is our top priority throughout the entire pipeline lifecycle. Explore that lifecycle below with a step-by-step interactive journey.
PLEASE NOTE: The objects and terrain presented in this experience are not to scale.
Safety and reliability are built into Enbridge’s energy infrastructure before, during and after the construction phase.We take care to limit our footprint, and actively manage potential effects on communities and the environment, as we build our pipeline projects.
Where possible, we use existing access routes to and from construction sites, minimize temporary workspace and curtail ground disturbance.
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We have an unwavering commitment to safety, reliability and meeting or exceeding regulatory standards. True commitment, though, is more than thoughts and words. That’s why we invest consistently into actions that clearly demonstrate our focus on respecting communities and the environment.
We live here. We work here. We raise families here. From meetings to presentations to our community investment program, we are part of the community.
We engage in a variety of ways, including open houses, presentations to civic and business groups, roundtable discussions with municipalities, meetings with landowners and Indigenous communities, coffee talks and personal interactions.
Reflecting our commitment to stakeholder collaboration, Enbridge provides Indigenous and Native American communities training, employment and meaningful opportunities that help support their businesses. We also consult with Indigenous and Native American groups about the feasibility of rerouting pipelines around sensitive corridors.
We plan our projects with great care and respect to the communities and environment. To help minimize our environmental footprint, we use pre-existing utility corridors where possible. We also comply with all environmental regulations and permits and seek oversight from trained, experienced environmental inspectors and resource specialists.
We work continuously with regulatory agencies and build environmental evaluations into construction planning.
The U.S. and Canada have had pipeline rules and guidelines in place for decades, resulting in two of the most highly regulated, and safest, pipeline industry environments in the world.
Depending on the project, we may use environmental field survey crews to evaluate and potentially reroute around environmentally sensitive areas.
Wildlife protection strategies include wildlife baseline studies, remote camera monitoring and winter track surveys.
Often, a pipeline project involves seeking and gathering input from more than 40 agencies across federal, regional, state/provincial and local levels. We submit an application to the appropriate agency (or agencies) to initiate the regulatory review process.
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Field surveys are conducted along the proposed right-of-way (ROW) to understand environmental, developmental and local issues.
Once the route is final, the location is marked with stakes.
We establish project-specific biosecurity plans with the help of landowners, including making sure all of our equipment is clean and free of weeds, soil and debris.
We take measures to control and contain weeds and soil-borne pathogens, based on the level of risk at the construction site.
Once topsoil has been stripped and stored to meet specifications, the subsoil along the ROW is graded to enable a safe pipeline installation.
Crews bend the sections of pipe to match engineering specifications and follow the contours of the land.
The pipe is welded into sections, and eventually one long segment, using pipe that’s been carefully selected and tested. Each weld is inspected via either X-ray or ultrasound technology.
The entire segment of pipe, including weld joints, is coated with a robust corrosion inhibitor.
Using multiple sidebooms, or cranes, the pipe is lowered into the trench.
Crews use backhoes or wheel ditchers to dig the pipeline trench.
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology is deployed to lay pipelines beneath large rivers or sensitive crossings.
ALSO SEE: World's longest HDD project under Mississippi River a 'mind-boggling' feat of engineering
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The trench is carefully backfilled and compacted with subsoil.
Each section of pipe is filled with water and subjected to extreme operating pressures to ensure the strength of the pipe and welds.
The ROW is restored to its original condition. Topsoil is replaced and reseeded; other restoration methods include tree planting and environmental monitoring.
Once a pipeline enters service, it enjoys a very long life, through safe operations,
prevention, monitoring and maintenance activities. We work hard to meet or exceed
the strict safety and reliability standards enforced in the United States and Canada.
Landowners are not responsible for Enbridge's decommissioned or deactivated pipelines. We are—forever.
View our Decommissioning PDFNow that you've explored what we do to safely plan, build, operate and maintain our pipelines, you may want to explore all of the ways Enbridge works to ensure safety for our communities across our facilities and operations.
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