Enbridge
Encyclopedia
Enbridge Inc. is a Calgary
, Alberta
based company focused on three core businesses: crude oil and liquids pipelines
, natural gas
transportation and distribution, and green energy. The company has approximately 6,000 employees, mostly in Canada
and the United States
. The company was initially incorporated as Interprovincial Pipe Line (IPL) in 1949, shortly after Canada's first major oil discovery at Leduc, Alberta
. The original pipeline was constructed to transport oil from western Canada to refineries in the east. IPL became Enbridge Pipelines in 1998. The Enbridge name is a portmanteau from "energy" and "bridge".
In 2010, Enbridge was recognized as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the world.
Enbridge operates the world's longest crude oil and liquids pipeline system, located in both Canada and USA. It owns and operates Enbridge Pipelines Inc. and a variety of affiliated pipelines in Canada and the U.S., and has an approximate 27% interest in Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. which owns the Lakehead System in the U.S. These pipeline systems have operated for over 60 years and now comprise approximately 13500 kilometres (8,388.5 mi) of pipeline, delivering more than 2 Moilbbl per day of crude oil and liquids. Enbridge is also the sponsor and manager of the Enbridge Income Fund.
Enbridge is also involved in liquids marketing and international energy projects and has a growing involvement in the natural gas transmission and midstream businesses, through the Alliance and Vector pipelines, and various U.S. assets that transport, gather, process and market natural gas and other petroleum
products.
As a distributor of energy, Enbridge owns and operates Canada's largest natural gas
distribution company, Enbridge Gas Distribution, which provides gas to industrial, commercial and residential customers in Ontario, Quebec and New York State. Enbridge distributes gas to more than 1.9 million customers. Enbridge owns approximately 70% of, and operates, Enbridge Gas New Brunswick which owns the natural gas distribution franchise in the province of New Brunswick
.
Enbridge is encouraging the use of renewable and green energy by investing in wind and solar power and new energy technologies such as fuel cells. Enbridge has interests in four operating wind farms – two in Alberta, one in Saskatchewan and one in Ontario – with combined capacity of more than 260 megawatts. In late 2009 and early 2010, Enbridge added to its wind power portfolio with the announcement of investments in the Talbot and Greenwich wind energy projects. In October 2009, Enbridge announced its entry into solar energy with its investment in the 80 megawatt Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant
, which will be the largest photovoltaic solar energy facility in operation in Canada and one of the largest in North America. In 2008, Enbridge officially launched the world’s first hybrid fuel cell power plant.
In October 2009, Enbridge was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers
" by Mediacorp Canada Inc. Later that month, Enbridge was also named one of Alberta's Top Employers
, and one of Canada’s Ten Best Places to Work. In November 2009, Enbridge was recognized as Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture in the Energy and Natural Resources sector. In early 2010, Enbridge was recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers.
Enbridge currently has offices in Enbridge Place (Formally ING Tower), Manulife Place, Royal Bank Building, and a newly built Pipples Control Center on the South side of Edmonton
On July 4, 2002 an Enbridge pipeline ruptured in a marsh near the town of Cohasset, Minnesota
in Itasca County, spilling 6000 barrels (953.9 m³) of crude oil. In an attempt to keep the oil from contaminating the Mississippi River
, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources set a controlled burn that lasted for 1 day and created a smoke plume about 1 miles (1.6 km) high and 5 miles (8 km) long.
In 2006, there were 67 reportable spills totaling 5663 barrels (900.3 m³) on Enbridge's energy and transportation and distribution system; in 2007, there were 65 reportable spills totaling 13777 barrels (2,190.4 m³)
On March 18, 2006, approximately 613 barrels (97.5 m³) of crude oil were released when a pump failed at Enbridge's Willmar terminal in Saskatchewan. According to Enbridge, roughly half the oil was recovered, the remainder contributing to 'off-site' impacts.
On January 1, 2007 an Enbridge pipeline that runs from Superior, Wisconsin
to near Whitewater, Wisconsin
cracked open and spilled ~50000 gallons (189.3 m³) of crude oil onto farmland and into a drainage ditch. The same pipeline was struck by construction crews on February 2, 2007, in Rusk County, Wisconsin, spilling ~126000 gallons (477 m³) of crude. Some of the oil filled a hole more than 20 feet (6.1 m) deep and was reported to have contaminated the local water table.
In April 2007, roughly 6227 barrels (990 m³) of crude oil spilled into a field downstream of an Enbridge pumping station near Glenavon, Saskatchewan. Long-term site remediation is being attempted to bring the site to "as close as possible to its original condition".
In 2009, Enbridge Energy Partners, a US affiliate of Enbridge Inc., agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit brought against the company by the state of Wisconsin
for 545 environmental violations. In a news release from Wisconsin's Department of Justice, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said "...the incidents of violation were numerous and widespread, and resulted in impacts to the streams and wetlands throughout the various watersheds." The violations were incurred while building portions of the company's Southern Access pipeline, a ~$2.1 billion project to transport crude from the oil sands region in Alberta
to Chicago.
In January 2009 an Enbridge pipeline leaked about 4000 barrels (635.9 m³) of oil southeast of Fort McMurray at the company's Cheecham Terminal tank farm. It was reported in the Edmonton Journal
that most of the spilled oil was contained within berms, but that about 1% of the oil, about 40 barrels (6.4 m³), sprayed into the air and coated nearby snow and trees.
April 2010 an Enbridge pipeline ruptured spilling more than 1500 litres of oil in Virden, Manitoba, which leaked into the Boghill Creek which eventually connects to the Assiniboine River.
July 2010, a leaking pipeline spilled an estimated 843444 gallons (3,192.8 m³) of crude oil into Talmadge Creek leading to the Kalamazoo River in southwest Michigan on Monday, July 26.
On September 9, 2010, a rupture on Enbridge's Line 6A pipeline near Romeoville, Illinois released an estimate 6100 barrels (969.8 m³) of oil into the surrounding area.
Enbridge is producing the first multi-megawatt hybrid product, which generates ultra-clean electricity while saving energy, which is normally lost during natural gas pipeline operations. The hybrid fuel cell power plants that are involved generate electricity that is delivered to wholesale grids like large wind farms.
of Enbridge are: David Arledge, James Blanchard
, J. Lorne Braithwaite, Patrick Daniel, E. Susan Evans, William Fatt, Louis Hyndman, Robert Martin, George Petty, Charles Schultz, and Donald J. Taylor.
The President & CEO of Enbridge is Patrick Daniel.
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
based company focused on three core businesses: crude oil and liquids pipelines
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
, natural gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
transportation and distribution, and green energy. The company has approximately 6,000 employees, mostly in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The company was initially incorporated as Interprovincial Pipe Line (IPL) in 1949, shortly after Canada's first major oil discovery at Leduc, Alberta
Leduc, Alberta
- Demographics :The population of the City of Leduc according to its 2011 municipal census is 24,139, a 3.6% increase over its 2010 municipal census population of 23,293....
. The original pipeline was constructed to transport oil from western Canada to refineries in the east. IPL became Enbridge Pipelines in 1998. The Enbridge name is a portmanteau from "energy" and "bridge".
In 2010, Enbridge was recognized as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the world.
Activities
Enbridge is also involved in liquids marketing and international energy projects and has a growing involvement in the natural gas transmission and midstream businesses, through the Alliance and Vector pipelines, and various U.S. assets that transport, gather, process and market natural gas and other petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
products.
As a distributor of energy, Enbridge owns and operates Canada's largest natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
distribution company, Enbridge Gas Distribution, which provides gas to industrial, commercial and residential customers in Ontario, Quebec and New York State. Enbridge distributes gas to more than 1.9 million customers. Enbridge owns approximately 70% of, and operates, Enbridge Gas New Brunswick which owns the natural gas distribution franchise in the province of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
Enbridge is encouraging the use of renewable and green energy by investing in wind and solar power and new energy technologies such as fuel cells. Enbridge has interests in four operating wind farms – two in Alberta, one in Saskatchewan and one in Ontario – with combined capacity of more than 260 megawatts. In late 2009 and early 2010, Enbridge added to its wind power portfolio with the announcement of investments in the Talbot and Greenwich wind energy projects. In October 2009, Enbridge announced its entry into solar energy with its investment in the 80 megawatt Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant
Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant
Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant near Sarnia, Ontario in Canada, is as of September 2010 the world's largest photovoltaic plant with 80 MWp....
, which will be the largest photovoltaic solar energy facility in operation in Canada and one of the largest in North America. In 2008, Enbridge officially launched the world’s first hybrid fuel cell power plant.
In October 2009, Enbridge was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers
Canada's Top 100 Employers
Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places in Canada to work. First held in 1999, the project aims to single out the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional working conditions and progressive human resources policies. Winners are...
" by Mediacorp Canada Inc. Later that month, Enbridge was also named one of Alberta's Top Employers
Alberta's Top Employers
Alberta's Top Employers is a competition that recognizes the best workplaces in Alberta. Published annually since October 2005, the designation recognizes the Alberta employers that lead their peers in providing exemplary employee benefits and forward-thinking human resource programs...
, and one of Canada’s Ten Best Places to Work. In November 2009, Enbridge was recognized as Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture in the Energy and Natural Resources sector. In early 2010, Enbridge was recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers.
Enbridge currently has offices in Enbridge Place (Formally ING Tower), Manulife Place, Royal Bank Building, and a newly built Pipples Control Center on the South side of Edmonton
Spills and violations
Using data from Enbridge's own reports, the Polaris Institute calculated that 804 spills occurred on Enbridge pipelines between 1999 and 2010. These spills released approximately 168645 barrels (26,812.4 m³) of hydrocarbons into the environment.On July 4, 2002 an Enbridge pipeline ruptured in a marsh near the town of Cohasset, Minnesota
Cohasset, Minnesota
Cohasset is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, USA. The population was 2,698 at the 2010 census.U.S. Highway 2 serves as a main arterial route in the city.-Geography:...
in Itasca County, spilling 6000 barrels (953.9 m³) of crude oil. In an attempt to keep the oil from contaminating the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources set a controlled burn that lasted for 1 day and created a smoke plume about 1 miles (1.6 km) high and 5 miles (8 km) long.
In 2006, there were 67 reportable spills totaling 5663 barrels (900.3 m³) on Enbridge's energy and transportation and distribution system; in 2007, there were 65 reportable spills totaling 13777 barrels (2,190.4 m³)
On March 18, 2006, approximately 613 barrels (97.5 m³) of crude oil were released when a pump failed at Enbridge's Willmar terminal in Saskatchewan. According to Enbridge, roughly half the oil was recovered, the remainder contributing to 'off-site' impacts.
On January 1, 2007 an Enbridge pipeline that runs from Superior, Wisconsin
Superior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
to near Whitewater, Wisconsin
Whitewater, Wisconsin
Whitewater is a city in Jefferson and Walworth Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.-Geography:...
cracked open and spilled ~50000 gallons (189.3 m³) of crude oil onto farmland and into a drainage ditch. The same pipeline was struck by construction crews on February 2, 2007, in Rusk County, Wisconsin, spilling ~126000 gallons (477 m³) of crude. Some of the oil filled a hole more than 20 feet (6.1 m) deep and was reported to have contaminated the local water table.
In April 2007, roughly 6227 barrels (990 m³) of crude oil spilled into a field downstream of an Enbridge pumping station near Glenavon, Saskatchewan. Long-term site remediation is being attempted to bring the site to "as close as possible to its original condition".
In 2009, Enbridge Energy Partners, a US affiliate of Enbridge Inc., agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit brought against the company by the state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
for 545 environmental violations. In a news release from Wisconsin's Department of Justice, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said "...the incidents of violation were numerous and widespread, and resulted in impacts to the streams and wetlands throughout the various watersheds." The violations were incurred while building portions of the company's Southern Access pipeline, a ~$2.1 billion project to transport crude from the oil sands region in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
to Chicago.
In January 2009 an Enbridge pipeline leaked about 4000 barrels (635.9 m³) of oil southeast of Fort McMurray at the company's Cheecham Terminal tank farm. It was reported in the Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Journal
The Edmonton Journal is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network.-History:The Journal was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as a rival to Alberta's first newspaper, the 23-year-old...
that most of the spilled oil was contained within berms, but that about 1% of the oil, about 40 barrels (6.4 m³), sprayed into the air and coated nearby snow and trees.
April 2010 an Enbridge pipeline ruptured spilling more than 1500 litres of oil in Virden, Manitoba, which leaked into the Boghill Creek which eventually connects to the Assiniboine River.
July 2010, a leaking pipeline spilled an estimated 843444 gallons (3,192.8 m³) of crude oil into Talmadge Creek leading to the Kalamazoo River in southwest Michigan on Monday, July 26.
On September 9, 2010, a rupture on Enbridge's Line 6A pipeline near Romeoville, Illinois released an estimate 6100 barrels (969.8 m³) of oil into the surrounding area.
Environmental initiatives
Enbridge recently participated in Pollution Probe's 'Clean Air Commute', where the company competed for the 'Utility Challenge Cup'.Enbridge is producing the first multi-megawatt hybrid product, which generates ultra-clean electricity while saving energy, which is normally lost during natural gas pipeline operations. The hybrid fuel cell power plants that are involved generate electricity that is delivered to wholesale grids like large wind farms.
Corporate governance
Current members of the board of directorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Enbridge are: David Arledge, James Blanchard
James Blanchard
James Johnston "Jim" Blanchard is a politician from the US state of Michigan. A Democrat, Blanchard has served in the United States House of Representatives, as the 45th Governor of Michigan, and as United States Ambassador to Canada....
, J. Lorne Braithwaite, Patrick Daniel, E. Susan Evans, William Fatt, Louis Hyndman, Robert Martin, George Petty, Charles Schultz, and Donald J. Taylor.
The President & CEO of Enbridge is Patrick Daniel.