With its Q1 2026 results release and conference call on May 8, Enbridge provided updates on its operations and projects, and added another $1 billion to its secured project backlog, which is now up to $40 billion. There were no changes to timing guidance for previously sanctioned projects, and several newly sanctioned projects were announced.
In its liquids pipeline business, Enbridge noted that its Mainline was practically full in Q1, averaging 3.2 MMb/d compared to nameplate capacity of 3.22 MMb/d, and that capacity has been apportioned all year so far. The 120 Mb/d Gray Oak pipeline expansion, and the 2.5 MMBbl Ingleside Energy Center storage expansion, entered service earlier this year.
In support of its 250 Mb/d Mainline Optimization Phase 2 project (MLO2), in April Enbridge launched binding open seasons for up to 200 Mb/d of capacity on Flanagan South (FSP), and up to 50 Mb/d of capacity on the Southern Access Extension pipeline (SAX), offering service from Western Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. These open seasons became public knowledge in April and are expected to conclude on May 29. FSP volumes would move onto Seaway at Cushing, OK, while SAX volumes would move onto the ETCOP pipeline at Patoka, IL. The Q1 press release clarified that these open seasons were “intended to offer incremental Western Canada Sedimentary Basin egress”. In other words, these are capacity expansions.
In Enbridge’s Gas Transmission, Distribution, and Storage businesses, an expansion of storage at Tres Palacios was announced that would add about 25 Bcf of storage in the 2028-2030 timeframe. Enbridge also announced it had sanctioned a western extension of its Vector pipeline that will add 400 MMcf/d of capacity into Wisconsin by 2028, coupled with a successful non-binding open season for 300-500 MMcf/d of capacity. At Dawn, Ontario Enbridge is adding 8 Bcf of unregulated gas storage with a 2029 expected in-service date (ISD). The Sunrise expansion project, which will add 300 MMcf/d of capacity on the southern portion of the Westcoast pipeline system in British Columbia, was approved in April, with ISD expected by late 2028.
Enbridge also sanctioned the Cone project, a 300 MW onshore wind facility in Texas expected online in 2027.
