Inspection Officer Order (Amendment No. 3) issued to Enbridge (Westcoast) allowing temporary increase to Restricted Operating Pressure (ROP) on 36 inch line

24 December 2018

On December 21, 2018, Westcoast applied to vary Specified Measure (a) of NB-001-2018 (Amendment No. 2) to request an increase to the Restricted Operating Pressure (ROP) from 85% to 88% for the remaining segments of the 36 inch pipeline still operating under the current ROP. This is to allow the company to provide the required deliveries of natural gas to end users during the winter months. Based on an evaluation of the information provided by the company, which includes an Engineering Assessment supporting the increase in the ROP, the Inspection Officer is satisfied that the 36 inch line can be safely operated under the amended Specified Measures provided in Inspection Officer Order NB-001-2018 (Amendment No. 3), which was issued on December 24, 2018.

The ROP shall remain in place from the date of issuance of this Inspection Officer Order to February 28, 2019, at which time the ROP will return to 85%, unless Westcoast has demonstrated to the satisfaction of an Inspection Officer, through an Engineering Assessment completed in accordance with CSA Z662-15 Clause 10.1, that the 36  line is fit for service to safely operate at a pressure higher than the ROP.

To date, only the segment of the line from Compressor Station 9 to Huntingdon (passing through Chilliwack, B.C.), has been restored to full operating pressure. This segment was approved as a priority to minimize gas restrictions to the region. The NEB remains mindful of the need for sufficient gas supply, especially in the winter, and will continue to assess the company’s engineering evaluations of each segment on a priority basis until the pipeline is fully restored.

Date modified:

2020-09-29