Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Program (L3RP) announced construction started in the first week of August, but don’t expect to see much going on in southeast Saskatchewan this year.
That’s because much of the work going on right now is in the western side of province and in Alberta. This includes Spread 1 from Hardisty, Alta. to Loreburn, Spread 3 and 4 from Rosetown to west of Regina. The remaining spreads have not been finalized for contractors and start dates, but the project is aiming for an in-service date of late 2019, according to spokesperson Suzanne Wilton on Aug. 21.
In southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba, early civil work including earthmoving and piling has begun at several pumping stations. Mainline work will happen at a later date.
The L3RP will replace the existing 34-inch-diameter pipeline with new 36-inch-diameter pipe, using the latest available high-strength steel and coating technology, while the existing segments will be removed from operation, the company said on its website.
Line 3 is the third of five pipelines in the Enbridge mainline system which runs from Hardisty, Alta. to Superior, Wi. Those five pipelines, collectively referred to as the “mainline,” cuts across Saskatchewan. The first four actually pass through the north end of Regina, running into the Regina terminal and alongside the Regina Refinery Complex.
The most recent addition to the mainline was a project referred to as “Alberta Clipper,” which was eventually named Line 67. It was built in 2008-2009. As the principal mainline right-of-way simply ran out of room for additional pipes in places like Regina, White City and Kipling, Alberta Clipper resulted in some new right-of-way going around these communities. L3RP will follow this new route in those areas.
The L3RP project is also, by far, the largest pipeline project in Saskatchewan since Alberta Clipper. Should the TransCanada Keystone XL project ever go ahead, it will be of similar scale, but only run across a short portion of southwest Saskatchewan. L3RP, Alberta Clipper and Keystone XL are all 36-inch pipe.
On the Canadian side of the border, the L3RP will cost approximately $5.3-billion replacement program for most of its Line 3 pipeline running between Hardisty and Gretna, Man. The American portion is estimated to cost US$2.9 billion. While work stated in Wisconsin around the same time it started in Saskatchewan and Alberta, there are still portions of the project in Minnesota that are under regulatory review. In that state, a substantial detour away from the principal right of way through much of Minnesota, from Clearbrook to Carlton.
A short portion of L3RP near Cromer, Man. has already been completed. When the project was first proposed several years ago, Enbridge intended on only replacing substantial portions, but not all, of Line 3. That changed and the company decided to replace the entire pipe. During that time, the portion around Cromer simply couldn’t wait, and it was done several years ago. Another portion, crossing the United States border near Gretna, has also been completed.
