Enbridge is seeking to add 150 Mb/d of egress capacity on its Mainline system (orange line in map below) from Alberta in response to expected supply growth and rising demand from U.S. markets. It has been holding discussions with customers, and the project is scheduled for completion in late 2026-2027. The Mainline transported record volumes in 2Q at 3.1 MMb/d. The strong demand has led to apportionment every month this year, and the same is expected for August. Last week, the company had sanctioned another expansion project -- the addition of 120 Mb/d of new capacity on its Gray Oak pipe which transports oil from the Permian to the Corpus Christi hub.
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For Whom the Pipeline Tolls - Approval of Enbridge Mainline Tolls Locks In Years of Shipping Cost Certainty
The Enbridge Mainline, by far the largest transportation network for growing Western Canadian crude oil supplies to the U.S. Midwest, Gulf Coast and Eastern Canada, recently received regulatory approval for the tolls that it charges shippers for using the massive pipeline system. As we discuss in today’s RBN blog, the Canada Energy Regulator’s (CER) thumbs-up ensures another five years of shipping cost predictability and comes as the Canadian oil pipeline landscape is about to permanently change with the pending startup of the 590-Mb/d Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX).
- Blog
Here, There and Everywhere - Despite Trade Frictions, Enbridge Forges Ahead with Pipeline Expansions
It might seem crazy to talk about expanding crude oil and diluent pipeline systems between Canada and the U.S. amid what could escalate into an all-out trade war between the two nations. However, Enbridge, one of the largest pipeline operators in the world, is doing just that — actively planning and investing in pipeline expansions for its Mainline, Express-Platte and Southern Lights systems that would help move an ever-rising tide of Canada’s oil sands crude to market in the years ahead. We examine Enbridge’s plans in today’s RBN blog.
- Blog
You've Got a Friend in Me, Encore Edition - Will Enbridge's Expansions Avert Another Canadian Oil Pipeline Capacity Crunch?
It seems almost nothing is going to stop Western Canada’s crude oil production growth. But getting those incremental barrels to refiners and exporters will require more pipeline takeaway capacity, including expansions to Enbridge’s Mainline and Express systems, which should keep barrels flowing to key markets in the U.S. and avoid a capacity crunch. In today’s RBN blog, we consider how our outlook for Canadian production over the next several years stacks up against takeaway capacity and what additions will be needed to keep pace.
Today, we celebrate Juneteenth, which honors the end of slavery in the U.S. In observance of today’s holiday, we’ve given our analysts a break and are revisiting our June 6 blog on Western Canada’s crude oil production growth, which also serves as a preview of our upcoming School of Energy Canada. If you didn’t read it then, this is your opportunity to see what you missed.
