Your Questions
Do you have a question about transmission pipelines in Canada? We’d like to hear it.
If your question is about the transmission pipeline industry and it meets our community guidelines, we’ll publish the answer here. Thanks for participating in the discussion!
What methods are used to ensure the pipeline will not rupture or leak over time? – Lynn M.
Preventing incidents is a focus right from the planning stages of a transmission pipeline project. The route selection, design and construction phases of the project are about maximizing safety and minimizing risks to Canadians and the environment. For example, pipeline operators conduct thorough geohazard management surveys where required to assess the risk of ground movement or instability that may cause a pipeline to rupture. Even the type of coating used on the pipeline is carefully chosen, applied and inspected to ensure the pipeline is protected from corrosion.
Once the pipeline is operational, it is monitored 24/7 from the pipeline operator’s control room. Many technologies, including sensors and cameras, are used to monitor the pipeline for any anomalies. Aerial surveillance and employees walking the pipeline right-of-way are also regularly used to monitor for anything out of the ordinary. If something is detected, that information is immediately sent back to the control room, where the pipeline can be shut down immediately.
Integrity digs are also conducted by pipeline operators. This is a practice where the operator carefully digs up a section of the pipeline where an anomaly has been detected, and if necessary, repairs or replaces the section of pipe. Over 3,000 integrity digs were conducted in 2015 last year on CEPA member pipelines.
Pipelines are carefully and regularly monitored and inspected throughout their life cycle, ensuring they are safe and reliable. You can find more information here: https://www.aboutpipelines.com/en/preventing-incidents/
Why won’t companies post all their spills and accidents? – Dave
We agree that Canadians have a right to know about spills and accidents. As critical infrastructure, transmission pipelines have an impact on the lives of Canadians, and you should know how safely they are operating. There are a few ways to learn about transmission pipeline incidents in Canada.
First, transmission pipelines must report incidents to the regulator – if the pipeline crosses provincial or international boundaries, the company reports incidents to the National Energy Board. If the pipeline is within provincial boundaries, the company reports incidents to the provincial regulator – the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission, Alberta Energy Regulator, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of the Economy, Ontario Energy Board, etc. Most of these regulators have incident postings on their websites. The National Energy Board, for instance, has a safety performance portal, which you can find here. It’s important to note that each regulator has their own set of criteria on what information the company must submit when reporting an incident.
CEPA also has an interactive, google-based map called the About Pipelines Map that enables you to search for CEPA member company pipelines, facilities and incidents through a postal code or community lookup, or by zooming in. When looking at incidents, you are able to see the type of incident, when it happened and the cause. CEPA also shares aggregated incident data from our members, which you can find here.
What do you mean by a 99.9% ‘safety record’ — this seems to me like you’re just playing with numbers. If your goal is zero incidents, then the only reasonable response would seem to be to reduce the number of pipelines not expand them. – Peter I.
That’s a great question, Peter. Our safety record is a reflection of the percentage of product that CEPA members were able to transport safely. This means that in 2015, 99.9 per cent of the total volume of liquids and natural gas product arrived safely at their destination. You can view the transmission pipeline industry’s record here (dating back to 2002).
The demand for oil and gas products is what drives the expansion of new transmission pipelines. Reducing the number of pipelines wouldn’t necessarily improve the safety record, but it would likely increase the cost of oil and gas for consumers.
What will enable us to reach our goal of zero incidents is advancing our safety practices. This means new technologies, creating a culture of safety for employees, focusing on training and working together to continuously improve our practices.
How often are pipes replaced? Are there regulations stating replacement intervals depending on type of pipe used? Or are they only replaced if anomalies are found? If so, how often are pipelines inspected according to both provincial and federal regulations? – Erynn (Lloydminster, AB)
Hi Erynn,
Great question. Transmission pipelines don't have limit on their life span, so there aren't regulations in place regarding how often the pipes should be replaced. Pipeline operators focus on proper and regular inspection and maintenance to ensure their pipelines can be safely operational for a long time.
Pipelines are monitored 24/7 from control rooms to ensure that they are operating safety and securely, and anything out of the ordinary gets investigated quickly. There aren't regulations for the intervals required for transmission pipeline inspections. Pipeline operators consider the product the pipeline is carrying, the age of the pipeline, geohazards and other critical elements to determine how frequently pipelines should be inspected.
To give you an idea of the commitment of transmission pipeline operators' to inspections and maintenance, in 2015, CEPA members conducted over 3,000 integrity digs to examine pipelines for defects and make repairs. There were over 30,000 km of pipelines inspected by in-line inspection tools and over $1.3 billion was spent on maintaining and monitoring Canadian transmission pipeline systems.
What happens when a pipeline bursts? – Lena
Transmission pipeline operators are committed to preventing leaks and spills from happening in the first place. But they are always prepared for an emergency. That preparation includes thorough emergency response plans for each pipeline they operate, and outlines the specific steps and procedures for shutting the pipeline down, responding to the incident, protecting the public and worker safety, and cleaning up the environment.
You can find a detailed explanation of how pipeline operators respond to an emergency here, but the steps to responding to an emergency look like this:
- Shutting the pipeline down immediately
- Putting the emergency response plan is put into action. These plans are designed to address a wide range of emergency scenarios, identify potential hazards to the public and the environment, and outline the process of handling the emergency. This step ensures the safety of the public and workers.
- Mobilizing first responders
- Bringing in emergency response equipment and additional crews to clean up the area. Clean up is done until the regulator approves the area to be sufficiently restored. Environmental specialists will be brought in as needed as well.
- Determining the cause of the incident
- Taking responsibility for the liability of the spill
How many pipelines are there in the USA and Canada and how many are being built right now? Also how many pipelines are being planned to be built? – Cora-Beth
Thanks for your question, Cora-Beth. First, it's important to know that the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association represents Canada's transmission pipeline companies, which transport virtually all of the natural gas and crude oil produced in Canada to markets across North America. We can only provide you information about our members' transmission pipelines.
In Canada and the U.S., there are over 130,000 km of CEPA members' transmission pipelines, and there are more planned or under construction.
Please visit http://memberprojects.aboutpipelines.com for interactive maps on existing, proposed and under construction transmission pipelines.
What pipeline projects are underway and starting soon in Canada? – Frank
Hi Frank - thanks for the question. You can find information about 'proposed and under construction pipelines' projects on our member projects map here: http://memberprojects.aboutpipelines.com/. If you are looking for detailed information about each project, please visit the pipeline operator's website.
How are you making sure that your pipelines have not been sabotaged by eco-terrorists? – George R.
Thanks for your question, George. Protecting pipelines from sabotage or terrorism is of critical importance. At a national level, terrorism is taken very seriously, and government agencies do a lot of watching, forecasting and threat assessment. If there is a potential threat on a pipeline, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) will convey that information to pipeline operators to ensure they are prepared.
The pipeline regulator, such as the National Energy Board or a provincial regulator, ensures that pipeline operators have the right safety management systems in place to mitigate and avoid eco-terrorism risks. Pipeline operators are also focused on having a highly-effective security culture, so employees and contractors know to watch for, and report any potential threats.
It's important to note that pipelines are monitored 24/7 from control rooms with highly-sophisticated tools and software. If anything seems amiss with the pipeline, it can be shut down quickly; this enables pipeline operators to prevent threats from causing damage to the environment and protects the safety of communities and pipeline workers.
How closely are pipelines monitored? Is there daily visual or aerial inspections of all pipeline routes? Are there pressure and flow meters along all lines hooked up to valves that can automatically close if there is a sudden drop in pressure or flow from the readings further up the lines? – Graham
Transmission pipelines are monitored 24/7 from control rooms using software that gathers critical information from the pipeline. Pipeline operators use a wide range of tools to monitor pipelines constantly - sensors that monitor temperature, flow rate and pressure, fiber optics, video cameras, in-line inspection tools, aerial surveillance and even people walking the pipeline right-of-way. These tools and systems quickly alert technicians if a change is detected in the pipeline. Then using valves located at key points in the line, pipeline operators can quickly shut off the flow of product in the pipeline at a moment’s notice. These valves are controlled remotely from the pipeline operator’s control centre.
“Why do you believe that you are safe from the serious damage that has been done by hackers?” – George M. “Who and how will this pipeline be protected from a possible terrorist attack?” – Tony R. (Cambridge, Ont.)
“We must build anew and replace all of the aging infrastructure so it does not leak.” – Bruce F. (London, Ont.)
“Is this pipeline being built with swaying joints to prevent breakage should an earthquake occur?” – Tony R. (Cambridge, Ont.)
“How are you 100 percent positive there will never be a leak or burst?” – Nadine M.
“What kind of safety measures are put in place close to rivers? Do you have an emergency plan in place?” – Bert B. (Bella Bella, B.C.)
“I would like to know how we can replenish the earth and restore our relationship.” – James D. (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
“When will you take the long term view and learn from progressive countries that are turning to renewable energy sources?” – George M.
“How can we be assured that a spill from a dilbit pipeline won’t take over five years to clean up?” – Scott R. (Whistler, B.C.)
“Say you have a breach in a length of pipeline somewhere in the heart of the Rockies, and for argument’s sake, let’s say the breach is in the most remote area of the pipeline route. How long until the breach is detected, how long until the oil flow is stopped due to a pressure drop and the activation of the safety valves, and how long until it can be repaired?” – Alex O. (Burnaby, B.C.)
“Two of the issues facing pipelines are ground movement and corrosion (from both the inside and outside). Two questions: How are you going to effectively monitor for these issues? What are your contingency plans for when the worst-case happens?” – Robert B.
