The Enbridge Pipeline System is an
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
pipeline system which transports crude oil and
dilbit
Dilbit (diluted bitumen) is a bitumen diluted with one or more lighter petroleum products, typically natural-gas condensates such as naphtha. Diluting bitumen makes it much easier to transport, for example in pipelines. Per the Alberta Oil Sands B ...
from Canada to the United States. The system exceeds in length including multiple paths. More than of the system is in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
while the rest is in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and serves the
Athabasca oil sands production facilities. Main parts of the system are Canadian Mainline and Lakehead System (U.S. Mainline). On average, it delivers of
crude oil
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...
and other products to the major
oil refineries
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefie ...
in the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
and the Canadian province of
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. The Canadian portion is owned by
Enbridge
Enbridge Inc. is a multinational pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Enbridge owns and operates pipelines throughout Canada and the United States, transporting crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. ...
, while the U.S. portion is partly owned by that company through Enbridge Energy Partners, LP, formerly known as Lakehead Pipe Line Partners and Lakehead Pipe Line Company.
Background
The first portion of the pipeline was built over the course of 150 days in 1950 by a 1,500-man labor force. It crossed approximately from
Redwater, Alberta, through
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
,
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
, and
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, to the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
seaport
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
of
Superior, Wisconsin
, native_name_lang = oj
, nickname =
, total_type =
, motto =
, image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Downtown Superior
, ima ...
. At the same time, four
oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crud ...
s were constructed to carry the crude from Superior to
oil refineries
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefie ...
in
Sarnia, Ontario. Oil first entered the pipe on August 25, 1950, and the first tanker, ''Imperial LeDuc'', was launched on November 4. Other tankers that followed were, ''Imperial Redwater'', ''Imperial Woodbend'', and ''B.A. Peerless''.
Because the lakes froze in the winter, preventing tanker traffic, the decision was soon made to expand the pipeline all the way to Sarnia. In May 1953, contracts were awarded and construction began. At , it became the world's longest pipeline. A major upgrade was undertaken in the 1990s to replace old pipe and expand the system.
Mainline system
Today, there are two routes that oil can take between Superior and Sarnia. A northern route passes through the
upper and
lower
Lower may refer to:
*Lower (surname)
*Lower Township, New Jersey
*Lower Receiver (firearms)
*Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England
See also
*Nizhny
Nizhny (russian: Ни́жний; masculine), Nizhnyaya (; feminine), or Nizhneye (russian: Ни́ ...
peninsulas of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
before crossing into
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, while the southern route circles south of
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
through
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
and
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
before reaching Michigan. There are 59 pumping stations in the pipeline system, and the actual pipes range in diameter from .
One major junction point is in
Clearbrook, Minnesota
Clearbrook is a city in Clearwater County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 464 at the 2020 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Main routes include Minnesota St ...
where the pipeline connects to the
Minnesota Pipeline
The Minnesota Pipe Line (or MPL) is a crude oil pipeline that runs from Clearbrook, Minnesota southward to the Twin Cities. Construction began in 2007 after the State of Minnesota approved the building permit, and ended in 2008; it is owned by ...
, which carries crude to the
Pine Bend Refinery in
Rosemount, Minnesota
Rosemount is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota County, Minnesota, United States, on the southern edge of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. The population was 25,650 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
Rosemount was establi ...
. The
North Dakota Pipeline Company system of pipeline also has a connection in Clearbrook, linking the
Mandan Refinery in
Mandan, North Dakota
Mandan is a city on the eastern border of Morton County and the eighth-largest city in North Dakota. Founded in 1879 on the west side of the upper Missouri River, it was designated in 1881 as the county seat of Morton County. The population was ...
. The
Murphy Oil
Murphy Oil Corporation is a company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The company is ranked 625th on the Fortune 500 and 1860th on the Forbes Global 2000.
As of December 31, 2020, the company had of estimate ...
refinery in
Superior, Wisconsin
, native_name_lang = oj
, nickname =
, total_type =
, motto =
, image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Downtown Superior
, ima ...
, is directly linked to the pipeline.
Another point in
Lockport, Illinois
Lockport is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States, located 30 miles southwest of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 26,094. The city was incorporated in 1853. It is situated along the Illinois and Michigan (I&M) Canal, an ...
connects two pipelines to
Patoka, Illinois
Patoka is a town in Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 584 at the 2010 census.
History
The village was named after a local Native American chieftain.
Patoka is a town created in the 1860s United States.
Geography
Pat ...
, plus a longer link to
Cushing, Oklahoma
Cushing ( sac, Koshineki, iow, Amína P^óp^oye Chína, ''meaning: "Soft-seat town"'') is a city in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 7,826 at the time of the 2010 census, a decline of 6.5% since 8,371 in 2000. Cushing w ...
. A relatively short link from
Stockbridge, Michigan connects to two refineries in the
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...
area.
The Mainline system, conventionally divided into the US and Canadian mainlines, consists of 1900 miles of pipeline that run from central
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
to southern
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
via the northern US. The system can carry up to 2.5 million barrels of oil per day. Lines 1 through 4 connect Edmonton to
Superior, Wisconsin
, native_name_lang = oj
, nickname =
, total_type =
, motto =
, image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Downtown Superior
, ima ...
. From there,
Line 5 runs through the
Upper Peninsula
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...
of Michigan and across the
straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac ( ; french: Détroit de Mackinac) are the short waterways between the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, traversed by the Mackinac Bridge. The main strait is wide with a maximum depth of , and connects ...
to cross back into Canada at the
St. Clair River
The St. Clair River (french: Rivière Sainte-Claire) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 7, 2011 river in central North America which flows from Lake Huron int ...
.
Line 6 runs south through Wisconsin and Illinois to the terminal in
Griffith, Indiana
Griffith is a town in the Calumet and St. John townships in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 16,331 in 2021.
History
The Griffith State Bank, E.J. and E. Griffith Interloc ...
, which serves
BP Whiting and other Chicago-area clients, and then continues on through northwest Indiana and southern Michigan to rejoin Line 5 at
Sarnia, Ontario.
The Mainline system comprises Lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 61, 62, 64, and 67. Pipelines that connect to the system, but are not part of it, include Line 9 (Montreal to Sarnia), Line 17 (
Stockbridge to
Toledo), and Line 55 (
Flanagan to
Cushing).
Expansion
As of 2013 there were expansion plans for the pipeline system which would, if permitted and fully built, provide the capacity to transport an amount of
dilbit
Dilbit (diluted bitumen) is a bitumen diluted with one or more lighter petroleum products, typically natural-gas condensates such as naphtha. Diluting bitumen makes it much easier to transport, for example in pipelines. Per the Alberta Oil Sands B ...
from the
Athabasca oil sands into the United States and the Gulf Coast equal to that of the
Keystone Pipeline
The Keystone Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, commissioned in 2010 and owned by TC Energy and as of 31 March 2020 the Government of Alberta. It runs from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Albert ...
.
Accidents and incidents
Largest inland oil spill In U.S. history
In 1991, Enbridge's
Line 3 pipeline
The Line 3 pipeline is an oil pipeline owned by the Canadian multinational Enbridge. Operating since 1968, it runs from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin, United States.
Concerns about the safety of the pipeline led Enbridge ...
spilled 1.7 million gallons of oil in
Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Grand Rapids is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States, and it is the county seat. The population is 11,126 according to the 2020 census. The city is named for the long rapids in the Mississippi River which was the uppermost limit ...
and the
Prairie River, a tributary of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. It was the largest inland spill of oil in U.S. history. Deliberations over construction of a new Line 3 pipeline have drawn
resistance from
climate justice
Climate justice is a concept that addresses the just division, fair sharing, and equitable distribution of the burdens of climate change and its mitigation and responsibilities to deal with climate change. "Justice", "fairness", and "equity" ar ...
organizers and Native communities in Minnesota.
Cohasset, MN oil spill
On July 4, 2002, 252,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into a marsh near
Cohasset, Minnesota
Cohasset is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,698 at the 2010 census.
U.S. Highway 2 serves as a main route in Cohasset.
History
A post office called Cohasset has been in operation since 1892. The city was ...
due to a rupture of Line 4 running from
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Centr ...
, and
Superior, Wisconsin
, native_name_lang = oj
, nickname =
, total_type =
, motto =
, image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Downtown Superior
, ima ...
.
[National Transportation Safety Board. (2002). ]
Rupture of Enbridge Pipeline and Release of Crude Oil near Cohasset, Minnesota
''. Pipeline Accident Report NTSB/PAR-04/01. Washington, DC: Author. Emergency responders enacted a
controlled burn
A controlled or prescribed burn, also known as hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing, or a burn-off, is a fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. A control ...
at 4:45pm the next day to prevent the oil from penetrating into any waterways. The cost of remediating the accident was reported around $5.6 million.
Clearbrook Junction, MN, fire
On November 28, 2007, a large fire erupted during pipeline repair work at the Clearbrook Junction. This fire, described by a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as a "big fire, not an explosion", killed two workers and caused a $4 per barrel spike in oil prices the following day. The pipeline carries crude from
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
to the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
area.
Kalamazoo River oil spill
On July 26, 2010, 840,000 gallons of
dilbit
Dilbit (diluted bitumen) is a bitumen diluted with one or more lighter petroleum products, typically natural-gas condensates such as naphtha. Diluting bitumen makes it much easier to transport, for example in pipelines. Per the Alberta Oil Sands B ...
crude oil leaked from the pipeline in
Calhoun County, Michigan, spilling into Talmadge Creek that flows into the
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch.U.S. Geologica ...
. Despite alarms at Edmonton headquarters it took eighteen hours and a report from a Michigan utilities employee before the pipeline company acted to halt the flow finally. Enbridge reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency for a total of $177 million in response to the spill, along with an additional spill in Romeoville, Illinois later that year. This settlement included $110 million in spill prevention, $62 million in Clean Water Act violations, and $5.4 million in cleanup costs. In addition, the company was fined $3.7 million by the
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...
due to 24 violations in pipeline safety regulation. By 2014, the cost of cleanup to the company totaled to $1.21 billion.
Mackinac Straits Tugboat anchor incident
In 2018, a tugboat dropped its anchor on the pipeline near the
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac ( ; french: Détroit de Mackinac) are the short waterways between the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, traversed by the Mackinac Bridge. The main strait is wide with a maximum depth of , and connects ...
in Michigan, denting the pipe and causing 600 gallons (2,270 liters) of
mineral oil
Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils.
The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...
to leak from two electric cables.
See also
*
Enbridge
Enbridge Inc. is a multinational pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Enbridge owns and operates pipelines throughout Canada and the United States, transporting crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. ...
*
Enbridge Pipelines
Enbridge Pipelines is a collection of four different systems of natural gas pipelines, all owned by Enbridge. They include the Enbridge Pipelines (AlaTenn) system, the Enbridge Pipelines (MidLa) system, the Enbridge Offshore Pipelines (UTOS) system ...
*
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines were a project to build a twin pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. The eastbound pipeline would have imported natural gas condensate and the westbound pipeline would have expo ...
*
List of oil pipelines
This is a list of oil pipelines.
Africa
* Chad–Cameroon pipeline – Chad–Cameroon
* Sudeth pipeline – South Sudan–Ethiopia (under construction)
* Transnet Pipelines – South Africa
* Sumed pipeline – Egypt
* Tazama Pipeline – Tanzan ...
*
List of oil refineries
*
List of pipeline accidents in the United States
This list of pipeline accidents in the United States provides access to links for various timeframes, which are sometimes quite extensive.
Before 1900
1900–1949
1950–1974
1975–1999
* List of pipeline accidents in the United States ...
*
North Dakota Pipeline Company system
Bibliography
*
*
References
External links
EnbridgeEnbridge Asset Map (current)
{{Canadian pipelines
*
Transport in Alberta
Oil pipelines in Indiana
Transport in Manitoba
Pipelines in Michigan
Oil pipelines in Minnesota
Oil pipelines in North Dakota
Transport in Ontario
Oil pipelines in Wisconsin
Oil pipelines in Canada
Crude oil pipelines in the United States
Energy infrastructure in Illinois
Enbridge
Oil spills in Alberta
Environmental issues in Alberta