FR

Enbridge - Leak Detection Improvement Project

ground construction picture

  • Client

    Enbridge Pipelines Inc.

  • City

    Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

  • Year Completed

    2014

  • Size

    N/A

  • Sectors

    Civil

    Industrial

    Civil

    Industrial

  • Sub-Sectors

    Earthworks

    Utilities

Highlights

• Closed pipeline, drained the content into a temporary holding tank, removed existing sections of pipe and installed the new spool and flow meter in a sixteen hour shutdown window
• Project spanned Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

The Story

EllisDon completed the installation of a leak detection system, typical for Enbridge Pipeline pumping stations nationwide. The scope included eighteen workfaces spread across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The work included surveying, excavation, demolition and removal of existing piping, piling and structural steel, and the installation and reinstatement of a new piping system with controls, instrumentation and electricals.

Challenges & Solutions

The remote location of each site, the short duration of each project and a shutdown window of sixteen hours created project challenges. In the shutdown window, EllisDon was required to close the pipeline, drain the content by pumping it into a temporary holding tank, remove existing sections of pipe, and install the new spool and flow meter. Before the line was energized, thrust blocks were poured at each new connection. EllisDon was able to overcome these challenges on each of the sites through detailed planning. Each site opened on time to the satisfaction of the client.

The workfaces were live functioning pumping station facilities, transferring millions of barrels of product to the marketplace. This created a wide array of challenges relating to access, excavation of live buried services and careful coordination with operations and maintenance personnel and to ensure work was timed appropriately.

Furthermore, to overcome these challenges, Ellisdon went through detailed planning, scheduling and a strict adherence to EllisDon’s health and safety standards, and quality management systems, during execution.