NEB issues Enbridge Northern Gateway report

The Joint Review Panel of the National Energy Board (NEB) of Canada issued its Report for the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project. The project involves construction of two pipelines that would run between Bruderheim, Alberta and Kitimat, and construction and operation of a marine terminal at Kitimat, British Columbia for transport and export of oilsands crude, proposed by Northern Gateway Pipelines Limited Partnership.

Project components include:

• One 914mm (36in.) outside diameter pipeline would carry an average of 83,400cu. m (525,000 bbl) of oil products west from Bruderheim to Kitimat per day.
• A parallel pipeline, 508mm (20 in.) outside diameter, that would carry an average of 30,700cu. m (193,000 bbl) of condensate/day east from Kitimat to the inland terminal at Bruderheim.
• A terminal at Kitimat that would have two tanker berths, three condensate storage tanks, and 16 oil storage tanks. At Bruderheim, there would be connections to pipelines and storage facilities serving producers and markets in Western Canada.

The NEB report contains 209 conditions for approval, including development of a marine mammal protection plan and a research program on the cleanup of heavy oil. It now goes to Canada's federal cabinet, which has 180 days to render a final decision.