Canadian Mainline Gas Pipeline

This article is part of the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Media and Democracy.

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Canadian Mainline Gas Pipeline is an existing gas pipeline.

Location

The pipeline runs from the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and through a portion of Quebec.

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Project Details

• Operator: TransCanada
• Current capacity: 8000 Million cubic feet per day
• Proposed capacity: Million cubic feet per day
• Length: 14,100 km
• Status: Operating
• Start Year: 1960

Background

The TransCanada Mainline was built in the mid-1950s to move natural gas produced in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin to markets in eastern Canada and northeastern United States. The 14,100 km system extends from the Alberta‑Saskatchewan border, across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, and through a portion of Quebec. Historically, the Mainline transported gas produced in Western Canada. Since the mid-2000s some eastern segments of the Mainline reversed from export points to import points and began receiving gas produced in the Appalachian Basin.

Incidents

On January 25, 2014, a rupture and explosion occurred at the site of Mainline valve 400 in Otterburne, Manitoba. A crater measuring approximately 24 meters long by 12.5 meters wide was created, and debris was ejected approximately 100 meters from the rupture site. Gas had actually not been flowing through the pipeline, but static pressurized gas was present in the line between closed valves at the time of the rupture. The area surrounding the explosion was mostly agricultural, with the nearest building 540 meters away from the explosion. The gas burned for around 12 hours before it was extinguished. The cause of the rupture was from welding crack that may have formed at the time of the pipeline's construction.