Information flows at pipeline gathering
The Shaunavon Standard (Saskatchewan)
July 2, 2008
Local landowners and the general public had an opportunity to get a first hand look at a proposed new $7 billion pipeline project that will pass through Southwest Saskatchewan. Local landowners and the general public had an opportunity to get a first hand look at a proposed new $7 billion pipeline project that will pass through Southwest Saskatchewan.
The Keystone XL Pipeline is a crude oil project originating in Alberta and extending south to serve markets on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The proposed project calls for a 36-inch crude oil pipeline that will cover approximately 1,980 miles (3,200 kilometres) starting at Hardisty, Alberta.
Representatives of TransCanada Pipelines, the company that will build and operate the pipeline, were in Shaunavon last week to provide information and answer questions about the proposed project.
“The meetings are designed to inform landowners and the public about the project and to get their feedback on the proposal,” said Ken Phaff, project manager of Keystone XL Pipeline.
“The project is still in the preliminary stages at this point, and is subject to change based on what we find and the feedback we get.” he added.
The project still needs to meet regulatory approvals from a number of agencies, including environmental bodies and the National Energy Board in Canada, before it can proceed.
TransCanada hopes to receive regulatory approval sometime next year with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2010 and be completed by the end of 2011.
The proposed pipeline will include a 527 kilometre section running from Hardisty through southwest Saskatchewan to Monchy at the U.S. border.
The project will pass just west of Shaunavon and follow the existing Foothills Pipeline route.
“We do try to follow existing pipeline corridors where possible,” said Phaff.
The existing pipeline in the Foothills corridor carries natural gas, while the new proposed pipeline will carry crude oil.
TransCanada officials have already met with landowners along the proposed route.
Phaff says more consultations and public meetings will be held before the project will proceed.
“There will be ongoing consultation throughout this process,” he stated.
TransCanada representatives also met with local RM delegations and members of Shaunavon’s town council. Public meetings were also held last week in Piapot and Burstall.
The project is expected to have an economic impact on the region.
“This is one of the biggest projects we have on the planning books right now,” said Phaff. “
There will be local economic benefits up and down the line. And there will be other spinoffs and certainly increased revenue for the local tax base.”
The new pipeline would have an initial capacity of about 700,000 barrels of oil per day, expandable to approximately 900,000 barrels per day.
The Keystone Pipeline system is actually a partnership between TransCanada and ConocoPhillips. TransCanada will develop, construct and operate the pipeline system.
TransCanada is one of the continent’s largest providers of gas storage and related services with approximately 355 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A growing independent power producer, TransCanada owns, controls or is developing approximately 8,300 megawatts of power generation.
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