October 2009 Vol. 236 No. 10

Projects

Alberta Clipper Construction Is Under Way

The U.S. State Department has issued a presidential permit to Enbridge Energy Limited Partnership for the Alberta Clipper pipeline.

The Department found that the addition of crude oil pipeline capacity between Canada and the United States will advance several strategic interests of the U.S. These included increasing the diversity of available supplies among U.S. worldwide crude oil sources. shortening the transportation pathway for supplies; and increasing supplies from a major non-OPEC producer.

In late August, Enbridge spokesperson Denise Hamsher told P&GJ that work was under way on the U.S. portion of the Alberta Clipper being built through a collaboration of contractors under Global Pipeline Partners, made up of U.S. Pipeline, Precision Pipeline and Michels Corp.

There are four spreads of the 36-inch Alberta Clipper (total of 327 miles in U.S., with 1,000 miles under construction in Canada). There are two additional co-located/co-constructed spreads of the 20-inch Southern Lights diluents pipeline. A small portion of the co-construction 36-inch and 20-inch project will be completed next winter as winter ice-road access is available into wetland areas. Start up of Alberta Clipper is expected by mid-2010.