A day after receiving a Presidential Permit, contractors for Enbridge Energy Partners LP, Houston, began work on the U.S. portion of a 992-mile pipeline. The Alberta Clipper will move 450,000 bbl per day from Canada’s oil sands in Alberta to Superior, Wis., with a planned capacity of up to 800,000 bpd.
More than 3,000 U.S. workers will be employed on the 326 miles of 36-in. pipeline, five tanks, three pumping stations and a companion 188-mile-long, 20-in. pipeline to carry diluents to Canada, says Jim Crawford, director of engineering and construction for Enbridge. The U.S. segment of the $3.3-billion pipeline is expected to cost about $1.2 billion.