Enbridge is to add a new line to the southern section of its Athabasca pipeline from Kirby Lake to the Hardisty crude oil hub in Alberta, Canada, at an estimated cost of $1.2bn.
The new line will include a 36in pipeline largely within the existing Athabasca pipeline, and will initially add 450,000 barrels per day of capacity, with the potential to expand to 800,000bpd.
The line will be capable of accepting initial volumes by early 2015, with its full initial capacity available by 2016.
Enbridge’s Liquids Pipelines president Stephen Wuori said that the project is part of the overall plan to provide capacity for rapidly growing production from the Kirby area, as well as from growth projects further north in the Athabasca region.
