History of Pipelines
Canada was established as a leader in pipeline construction in 1853 with a 25-kilometre cast-iron pipe moving natural gas to Trois Rivières to light the streets. It was probably the longest pipeline in the world at the time. Canada boasts one of the world’s first oil pipelines when, in 1862, a line connected the Petrolia oilfield to Sarnia, Ontario.
By 1947, only three Canadian oil pipelines moved product to market. One transported oil from Turner Valley to Calgary. A second moved imported crude from coastal Maine to Montreal while the third brought American mid-continent oil into Ontario.
The beginning of Canada’s extensive pipeline grid can be traced back to the 1950s when major crude oil and natural gas finds in Western Canada led to the construction of large pipeline systems.
Major Canadian Oil and Natural Gas Pipelines
1912
Canadian Western Natural Gas built a natural gas pipeline from Bow Island to Calgary (275 km.).
1923
Natural gas pipeline connecting Viking in northern Alberta to Edmonton was constructed.
1941
Construction of the Portland Montreal Pipeline to transport crude oil from the port in South Portland, Maine to refineries in Montreal was completed.
1944
The Canol (short for Canadian Oil) Pipeline went into service. The 10 cm pipeline transported crude oil 1000 km from Norman Wells, NWT to a refinery in Whitehorse, YK. The pipeline was abandoned just 13 months later.
1950
Interprovincial Pipeline (now Enbridge Pipelines Inc) was completed to transport crude oil from Edmonton to Superior, Wisconsin.
1953
Trans Mountain Pipeline (now owned and operated by Kinder Morgan Inc.) was completed to transport crude oil from Edmonton to Vancouver.
Interprovincial Pipeline was extended to Sarnia.
1957
Westcoast Pipeline (now owned and operated by Spectra Energy Corp.) began transporting natural gas from northeast B.C. to the B.C. — U.S. border.
Construction of the TransCanada Pipeline to provide a source of natural gas for Central Canada began.
TransCanada’s Alberta System, referred to as NGTL or Nova began operation.
1976
Interprovincial Pipeline was extended to Montreal.
1981
TransCanada’s Foothills system transporting natural gas form Central Alberta to the U.S. border to serve markets in the U.S. Midwest, Pacific Northwest, California and Nevada began operation.
1985
Interprovincial Pipeline completed construction of the first bured pipeline through permafrost in Canada’s North.
1997
Kinder Morgan Express Pipeline transporting crude oil from Hardisty to markets in Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado began operations. The Express pipeline interconnects with the Platte pipeline system in Wyoming.
2000
Alliance Pipeline began operations, transporting natural gas from northeastern British Columbia to Illinois.
2010
TransCanada Keystone Pipeline began transporting crude oil from Hardisty to Illinois.
Energy Highways
Like roads and railways, Canada’s transmission pipelines form a major transportation network. More than 100,000 kilometres of underground pipeline transport virtually all of Canada’s daily crude and natural gas production.
Did you know?
The Interprovincial crude oil pipeline was the longest oil pipeline in the world when it was first constructed; the longest oil pipeline is now Russia’s Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline to Central Europe.
Did you know?
The first recorded use of pipelines to transport hydrocarbons was in China around 500 BC. Bamboo pipelines were used to transport natural gas from brine/gas wells to heat brine in order to recover salt. The bamboo sections were split lengthwise and the horizontal nodes removed. The halves were then glued back together and bound with twine.
