The earliest pipelines were probably built in China around 500 BC to transport natural gas from brine/gas wells to heat brine in order to recover salt. Bamboo sections were split lengthwise and the horizontal nodes removed. The halves were then glued back together and bound with twine. The first gathering systems in North America were constructed of hollow logs and were used to transport natural gas short distances from well sites to nearby towns. Distribution systems were also constructed to deliver the natural gas to buildings and street lights. In the early 1900s, there were only a few transmission pipelines in Canada. One ran from oil fields in Ohio to refineries in the Sarnia area. Another ran from Bow Island to Calgary, and at 270 kilometres (168 miles), was the longest pipeline in Canada at its completion in 1912.
During WWII, because of security concerns, oil pipelines were built from Portland, Maine to Montreal, and from Norman Wells, Northwest Territories to Whitehorse, Yukon. The latter, known as the Canol Pipeline, was only used for about a year, while the former is still in use.
Major discoveries in Alberta during the 40s and 50s, such as Leduc, Pembina, and Swan Hills, spurred construction of the Interprovincial Pipe Line (now Enbridge Pipelines Inc.) crude oil pipeline from Edmonton to Superior, Wisconsin in 1950, and on to Sarnia in 1953. The Trans Mountain Pipeline now owned and operated by Kinder Morgan Inc. was also completed in 1953 to transport crude oil from Edmonton to Vancouver.
The Westcoast Pipeline (now owned and operated by Spectra Energy Corp.) began transporting natural gas from northeast British Columbia to the B.C. U.S. border in 1957. Construction of the TransCanada Pipeline began in 1957 to provide a secure source of natural gas for Central Canada. It was completed the following year. Also in 1957, TransCanada’s Alberta System, referred to as NGTL or NOVA, began operation.
As demand grew, these pipelines were expanded and additional routes were opened to carry Canadian crude oil and natural gas to markets in California, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountain States and the Midwest United States. The Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline was constructed in 1999 to connect the gas fields off the Canadian east coast with markets in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine and Massachusetts.The Alliance Pipeline system began operation in 2000, transporting natural gas from northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta through Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa to its terminus in Illinois.
Technology of Pipelines – Industry R&D