Pipelines in Canada are important components of energy infrastructure in Canada as the majority of natural gas and oil deposits are located in landlocked Alberta and need to be transported to ports or terminals to access larger markets.
The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA), whose 2019 members included Alliance Pipeline (natural gas), ATCO Pipelines (natural gas), Enbridge, Inter Pipeline, Pembina Pipeline (oil and natural gas), Plains All American Pipeline known also as Plains Midstream Canada, TC Energy (oil and natural gas), TransGas's TransGas Pipelines, Trans Mountain pipeline, Trans Northern Pipelines, and Calgary-based Calgary-based Wolf Midstream Inc.'s pipeline, was formed in 1993.[1] [2] CEPA members transporting most of the natural gas and crude oil from Canada to other North American markets.[1]
Since 2015, Chris Bloomer, a geoscientist, who had formerly served in executive positions at Shell Canada, Connacher Oil and Gas, and Petrobank Energy and Resources, replaced Brenda Kenny, who served as president and CEO since 2008.[3] Since 2015, CEPA, has provided an interactive map of its members' pipelines in Canada, including those under construction or newly completed, such as the Trans Mountain pipeline, and TC Energy's Keystone Pipeline expansion—Keystone XL—and its Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project.[4]
According to their 2020 performance report, some of the issues upon which they focus include environmental issues including the impact of climate change, pipeline integrity, and emergency responses, relationships with First Nations communities, regulatory policy, as well as health and safety.
In a September 30, 2020 Calgary Herald article, with the oil and gas industry experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic economic slump,[5] CEPA CEO Bloomer was cited as stressing that Canada needs to "tout" its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in order to "attract new investment, expand oil and natural gas production, and get pipelines built".[6]
The Canadian federal government regulates around 10% (by length) of pipelines through the Canadian Energy Regulator.[7] The Regulator has precedence over provincial regulation when pipelines cross provincial or international boundaries.
Provincially each provinces has its own regulator listed below:
| Alberta | Ministry of Energy (Alberta) | Alberta Energy Regulator[8] | |
| Ontario | Ministry of Energy (Ontario) | Ontario Energy Board | |
| British Columbia | Ministry of Energy (British Columbia) | British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission | |
| Saskatchewan | Ministry of Energy (Saskatchewan) | Ministry of Energy (Saskatchewan) | |
| Manitoba | Directly supervised by Manitoba Legislature | Manitoba Public Utilities Board | |
| New Brunswick | Ministry of Natural Resources (New Brunswick) | New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board | |
| Quebec | Multiple | Régie de l’énergie du Québec Régie du bâtiment du Québec Ministère de la Sécurité publique Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques Ministère de la Justice Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec Sûreté du Québec Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement Info Excavation | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | N/A | None (no pipelines are present in Newfoundland and Labrador)[9] | |
| Prince Edward Island | N/A | None (no pipelines are present in PEI)[10] | |
| Nova Scotia | Ministry of Finance (Nova Scotia) | Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board |
| Name | Terminal | Terminal | Map | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TC Energy, ExxonMobil | Alaska gas pipeline | Alaska North Slope | Calgary, Alberta | Rejected | ||
| Enbridge | Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines | Bruderheim, Alberta | Kitimat, British Columbia | Rejected | ||
| Imperial Oil, The Aboriginal Pipeline Group, ConocoPhillips, Shell Canada, ExxonMobil | Mackenzie Valley Pipeline | Mackenzie Valley | Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories | Abandoned | ||
| TC Energy | Energy East | Hardisty, Alberta | Saint John, New Brunswick | Rejected[11] |
| Name | Terminal | Terminal | Map | Status | Status(as of date) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TC Energy | Coastal GasLink Pipeline | Dawson Creek, British Columbia | Kitimat, British Columbia | Under construction[12] | April 21, 2020 | ||
| TC Energy | Keystone Pipeline | Hardisty, Alberta | Patoka, Illinois, Port Arthur, Texas, Houston | Delayed[13] | April 21, 2020 | ||
| Trans Mountain Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Canada Development Investment Corporation | Trans Mountain pipeline | Edmonton, Alberta | Burnaby, British Columbia | Under construction[14] | April 21, 2020 | ||
| 35 First Nations groups | Eagle Spirit Pipeline | Northern Alberta | Prince George, British Columbia | Applied for | |||
| Enbridge | Enbridge Line 3 | Hardisty, Alberta | Superior, Wisconsin | Applied for |
| Name | Substance | Terminal | Terminal | Map | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enbridge, Pembina | Alliance Pipeline | Natural gas | ||||
| Emera | Brunswick Pipeline | Natural gas | Saint John, New Brunswick | Woodland, Maine | ||
| TC Energy | Gas Transmission Northwest | Natural gas | Kingsgate, British Columbia | Malin, Oregon | ||
| TC Energy | Great Lakes Transmission | Natural gas | ||||
| TC Energy, Dominion Resources, KeySpan Corporation, New Jersey Resources Corporation, Energy East Corporation | Iroquois Pipeline | Natural gas | ||||
| Enbridge, Emera, ExxonMobil | Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline | Natural gas | Goldboro, Nova Scotia | Dracut, Massachusetts | ||
| TC Energy, ONEOK Partners | Northern Border Pipeline | Natural gas | ||||
| Williams Companies | Northwest Pipeline | Natural gas | ||||
| TC Energy | TransCanada pipeline | Natural gas | ||||
| Emera | Brunswick Pipeline | Natural gas | Saint John, New Brunswick | Woodland, Maine | ||
| SaskEnergy | TransGas pipeline | Natural gas | ||||
| Enbridge, DTE Energy Company | Vector Pipeline | Natural gas | ||||
| Portland Pipe Line Corporation (in the United States)Montreal Pipe Line Limited (in Canada) | Montreal—Portland pipeline | Oil | South Portland, Maine | Montreal, Quebec | ||
| Enbridge | Canadian Mainline (Line 1, Line 2 A, Line 3, Line 4, Line 65, and Line 67)[15] | Oil | Edmonton, Alberta | Gretna, Manitoba | ||
| Enbridge | US Mainline (Line 1, Line 2 B, Line 3, Line 4, Line 5,Line 6, Line 14, Line 61, Line 62 Line 64, Line 67, Line 78) | Oil | Gretna, Manitoba | Sarnia, Ontario and Flagan, Illinois | ||
| Enbridge | Line 13 (Southern Lights pipeline) | Oil | ||||
| Enbridge | Line 72 (AOC Hanging Stone) | Oil |