Vector Pipeline
Encyclopedia
Vector Pipeline L.P. is a 348 mile-long natural gas
pipeline which transports approximately 1 Gcuft per day of natural gas from Joliet, Illinois
, in the Chicago
area, to parts of Indiana
and Michigan
and into Ontario
, Canada
. The pipeline is important in the supply and transportation of natural gas from the United States and Western Canada to the Midwest, eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, supplying power generation plants, natural gas distribution companies, and natural gas storage
facilities. The pipeline also has interconnections with several other natural gas pipelines along its route.
Vector Pipeline L.P. is a joint venture between Calgary
-based Enbridge Inc.
and Detroit-based DTE Energy Company
. Vector Pipeline filed applications with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
and the Canadian National Energy Board
in late 1997. Construction of the pipeline took place during 2000 and Vector began operations Dec. 1, 2000. Its FERC
code is 175. Duke Energy
acquired a 30% stake in the pipeline in 2002 when it bought Westcoast Energy Inc.; it sold its interest in September 2003 to DTE and Enbridge, who already owned the other 70%, for $145 million. Enbridge provides operating services to Vector and owns a 60% stake.
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...
pipeline which transports approximately 1 Gcuft per day of natural gas from Joliet, Illinois
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area, to parts of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and into Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, 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...
. The pipeline is important in the supply and transportation of natural gas from the United States and Western Canada to the Midwest, eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, supplying power generation plants, natural gas distribution companies, and natural gas storage
Natural gas storage
Natural gas, like many other commodities, can be stored for an indefinite period of time in natural gas storage facilities for later consumption.- Usage :...
facilities. The pipeline also has interconnections with several other natural gas pipelines along its route.
Vector Pipeline L.P. is a joint venture between Calgary
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...
-based Enbridge Inc.
Enbridge
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...
and Detroit-based DTE Energy Company
DTE Energy
DTE Energy Co. is a Detroit, Michigan-based utility incorporated in 1995 involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide....
. Vector Pipeline filed applications with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...
and the Canadian National Energy Board
National Energy Board
The National Energy Board is an independent economic regulatory agency created in 1959 by the Government of Canada to oversee "international and inter-provincial aspects of the oil, gas and electric utility industries"...
in late 1997. Construction of the pipeline took place during 2000 and Vector began operations Dec. 1, 2000. Its FERC
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...
code is 175. Duke Energy
Duke Energy
Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...
acquired a 30% stake in the pipeline in 2002 when it bought Westcoast Energy Inc.; it sold its interest in September 2003 to DTE and Enbridge, who already owned the other 70%, for $145 million. Enbridge provides operating services to Vector and owns a 60% stake.