Genesis
Description
Section updated: October 2024
Disclaimer
The Pipeline Profiles interactive maps provide publicly accessible information about CER-regulated pipeline systems. These maps provide information about the pipeline systems we regulate and allow the user to zoom in and view nearby communities and other geographic features.
The information displayed on this map is not meant to be comprehensive, and some datasets have been filtered to show only the most relevant information. Please see the Interactive Pipeline Map to see a more comprehensive picture of CER-regulated pipelines.
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Terms of Use
The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) provides this information for personal and non-commercial uses. The information contained in this map is based on externally sourced information. The CER makes no representations regarding the accuracy of this information. The CER accepts no responsibility or liability for inaccuracies, errors or omissions in the data and any loss, damage or costs incurred as a result of using or relying on the map data in any way.
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Sources and Description
Sources
The information contained in these maps is obtained from the following sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) (U.S. Pipelines); Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) (The Community Map of Canada); Geomatics Data Management Inc. (GDM) (CER-regulated pipelines); Government of Canada: Natural Resources Canada, and Surveyor General Branch (Indigenous Lands); Government of Canada: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (Modern and Historic Treaties).
Description
The Genesis pipeline is a small system located near Corunna, Ontario.
Overview
- The Genesis pipeline transports petrochemical feedstock, such as ethane, propane, butane, and ethylene, between Ontario and Michigan.
- The pipeline is part of the infrastructure that interconnects NOVA Chemicals’ three petrochemical facilities in the Sarnia area: Corunna site, Moore site, and St. Clair River site.
- The largest facility is the Corunna site, which produces ethylene and associated co-products. The ethylene produced at Corunna is then shipped via the Genesis pipeline to the Moore site and St. Clair River site for conversion into polyethylene.
Supply
- A portion of the Genesis pipeline interconnects with the Mariner West pipeline. This natural gas liquids pipeline is owned by Energy Transfer and operated by Sunoco Logistics. The interconnection occurs at the St. Clair River crossing between Canada and the U.S.
- Together, the Mariner West and Genesis pipelines transport ethane from the Marcellus Shale to NOVA Chemicals’ Corunna facility. At this facility, ethane is the primary feedstock for ethylene production.
- The Marcellus Shale is mainly located in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In recent years, natural gas and natural gas liquids production from Marcellus has increased significantly.
Reconciliation Content
- We recognize that all lands are the traditional and/or treaty territories of Indigenous Peoples, however, in this data set, only treaty lands are represented due to data availability.
- For more information about how the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples in a region are defined, it is best to consult First Nation and Metis governments directly.
- For more information about traditional territories and potential or established treaty rights, you may also consult the Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Information System.
Details
Section updated: October 2024
| Pipeline ownership | |
|---|---|
| Pipeline name | Genesis pipeline |
| CER-regulated company | Genesis Pipeline Canada Ltd. |
| Parent company | NOVA Chemicals Corp. |
| Pipeline attributes | |
| Group for financial regulationFootnote 1 | Group 2 |
| Commenced operations | 1986 |
| Location | The Genesis pipeline is a small system located near Corunna, Ontario. |
| CER-regulated pipeline length (km)Footnote 2 | 46 km |
| Transported commodity | Natural gas liquids, feedstock for the NOVA Chemicals’ Corunna facility |
| Pipeline capacity | Approximately 37 thousand barrels per day (Mb/d) |
| Major interconnected pipelines | Mariner West pipeline |
References
Section updated: October 2024
CER:
- Regulatory documents for Genesis pipeline facility applications: [Folder 3300674]
- Regulatory documents for Genesis pipeline toll & tariff applications: [Folder 368694]
Data sets on Open Government:
Use
Markets
Section updated: October 2024
Markets
The Genesis pipeline transports natural gas liquids, such as ethane, propane, butane, and ethylene between Ontario and Michigan. The natural gas liquids are produced in the Appalachian basin in the U.S. (primarily in Pennsylvania and West Virginia) and transported by pipeline to facilities in Ontario for processing.
The Genesis pipeline is part of infrastructure that interconnects NOVA Chemicals’ three petrochemical facilities in the Sarnia, Ontario area: Corunna site, Moore site and St. Clair River site. The largest facility is the Corunna site, which produces ethylene and associated co-products.
The ethylene produced at Corunna is shipped on the Genesis pipeline to the Moore and St. Clair River sites for conversion into polyethylene. Polyethylene is produced in the form of small pellets and transported to end-product manufacturers via rail and truck throughout North America. Polyethylene is the most common type of plastic used in many everyday materials, such as food packaging, trash and grocery bags, bottles, packaging and toys.
Transportation costs (tolls)
Section updated: May 2025
A toll is the price charged by a pipeline company for transportation and other services. Tolls allow pipeline companies to safely operate and maintain pipelines. Tolls also provide funds for companies to recover capital (the money used to build the pipeline), pay debts, and provide a return to investors. The interactive graph below shows the tolls on select paths on the pipeline since 1993.
Genesis Pipeline Canada Ltd. is subject to Group 2 financial regulation. Accordingly, the tolls are regulated by the CER on a complaint basis.
Official CER documents related to the traffic, tolls and tariffs for the Genesis Pipeline can be found here: Genesis Pipeline toll documents [Folder 368694].
Data Source and Description
Data Source: Open Government
Description: The above chart displays tolls data for the pipeline system. Only major or benchmark toll paths are shown for illustrative purposes. To see tolls for all available system paths, see the tariff filing.
Abandonment funding
Section updated: October 2024
The CER requires all pipeline companies to set aside funds to safely cease operation of their pipelines at the end of their useful lives. In 2013, GPCL estimated it would cost $3.1 million to do this for the Genesis pipeline system. In 2018, GPCL updated this estimate to $8.8 million. In 2024, this number was revised to $9.7 million. These funds are being collected and set aside in a trust. Collection period end date is December 31, 2049.
Official CER documents related to abandonment funding can be found here, sorted by year and by company: abandonment funding documents [Folder 3300366]. Financial information
Financial resource requirements Section updated: October 2024
The Canadian Energy Regulator Act requires oil pipeline companies to set aside funds to pay for the costs of any incident that occurs, such as a spill. See sections 136 to 142 of the Act for more information. Genesis Pipeline has demonstrated that it has financial resources in excess of $300 million dollars. Official CER documents can be found here: Genesis Pipeline Canada Ltd. financial resource requirements documents [Folder 2982196]. Pipeline financial information Section updated: October 2024
Pipeline companies report important financial information to the CER quarterly and/or annually. A strong financial position enables companies to maintain their pipeline systems, attract capital to build new infrastructure, and meet the market’s evolving needs. The data in this table come from Genesis Pipeline’s annual audited financial statement filings [Folder 369036]. The financial information presented in Table 2 reflects regulatory information prepared by each CER-regulated pipeline company and filed quarterly or annually with the CER. This information is filed to inform shippers, the CER and other interested parties on pipeline revenues and expenses and is used in monitoring pipeline transportation costs. Methodologies used in the preparation of this financial information may reflect regulatory decisions and guidance and unique negotiated agreements between a pipeline company and its shippers and interested parties. These methodologies, and the resulting financial information presented, may not follow established accounting principles used in other corporate reporting, and may not be comparable between different CER-regulated companies. For more information, please see the regulatory documents in CER’s REGDOCS and any associated notes contained within them. Corporate financial information Section updated: October 2024
GPCL is a wholly owned subsidiary of NOVA Chemicals Corporation. NOVA Chemicals Corporation is a major producer and marketer of plastics and chemicals in North America. Credit ratings provide an assessment of the financial strength of a company, including its ability to attract capital to build new infrastructure and meet financial obligations. The credit ratings below are expert opinions of how likely the debt issuer is to live up to its obligations. Safety and environment Section updated: May 2025
Section updated quarterly (early March, mid-May, mid-August and mid-November) Conditions compliance Section updated: May 2025
Every pipeline company in Canada must meet federal, provincial or territorial, and local requirements. This includes Acts, Regulations, rules, bylaws, and zoning restrictions. Pipelines are also bound by technical, safety, and environmental standards along with company rules, protocols and management systems. In addition to these requirements, the Commission may add conditions to regulatory instruments that each company must meet. Conditions are project-specific and are designed to protect public and the environment by reducing possible risks identified during the application process. Condition compliance is part of the CER's oversight and enforcement action is taken when required. Conditions can be related to a specific region, or apply to the pipeline project as a whole. The map below displays the number of in progress and closed conditions mapped to economic regions as defined by Statistics Canada. Conditions can typically be either in-progress or closed. The CER follows up on in-progress conditions. This status refers to conditions that continue to be monitored by the CER. This happens when: This status refers to: Note: Some conditions apply to multiple regions. Conditions may be double counted across regions, resulting in a higher number of conditions than the totals seen in the buttons above. Data Source: Open Government Description: The above map displays the number of CER conditions associated with projects approved by the Commission. The map is split into two tabs which show in-progress and closed conditions separately, mapped to an economic region. If a company has no in-progress conditions specific to an economic region, the dashboard will default to show the closed conditions by region. An additional view is available which contains the number of in-progress and closed conditions that don't have a corresponding economic region in the dataset. The map regions are shaded based on the number of conditions, with lighter coloured regions containing fewer conditions compared to darker colors. Conditions that apply to more than one region are double counted in the map, and these conditions will appear in the map region total and map region breakdown for each applicable region. The condition counts contained in the map navigation buttons represent total conditions without region double counting. Have you checked out the CER's interactive conditions data visualization? This tool offers a deep dive into the CER's conditions compliance data and process, exploring conditions across all CER regulated companies by keyword, project, and location. Reported incidents Section updated: May 2025
The information presented here is based on CER data (2008 to current) for incidents reported under the Onshore Pipeline Regulations and the Processing Plant Regulations. New data is added quarterly. Learn more on how incident data collection has evolved since the NEB (now the CER) was established in 1959. Companies must report events, such as incidents, to the CER in accordance with the CER Event Reporting Guidelines. Knowing what happened, and why, helps us find ways to prevent them from happening again. As defined in the OPR, “incident” means an occurrence that results in: As defined in the PPR, “incident” is defined as an occurrence that results or could result in a significant adverse effect on property, the environment, or the safety of persons. For the purposes of incident reporting in the PPR, events that fall under this definition include, but are not limited to: Companies self-report incidents and are expected to take a precautionary approach in doing so. This means that even when there is doubt as to whether an incident should be reported, the company must report it. The approach is, “When in doubt, report.” This is consistent with CER-regulated companies’ responsibility for anticipating, preventing, mitigating and managing incidents of any size or duration. The CER reviews all reported incidents to assess whether companies have taken the appropriate corrective actions and to identify potential trends in incidents. Each incident is given a status indicating the current stage of the CER's incident review. Operation Beyond Design Limits Includes situations, such as: Operation beyond design limit is typically linked to an over-pressure of the product in the pipe; however, if a pipe was exposed to excessive vibration and was not designed for this, this could be considered operation beyond design limits. Operation beyond design limits does not include equipment contacting the pipe, or corrosion pits, etc. Data Source: Open Government Description: The above map displays the location of product release incidents that have occurred on the pipeline system since 2008. The map defaults to show incidents as bubbles which are coloured based on the substance released. Incidents on the map can be re-categorized based on the most recently available status of the CER's incident review, the year in which the incident was reported, and the province/territory where the incident occurred. The incident map bubble can be switched to show the estimated volume of product released, with larger map bubbles showing larger release volumes relative to other product releases on the system. The incident data can also be toggled to display a stacked bar chart of incidents over time by clicking on the incident trends button above the map. The stacked bars display the number of product release incidents by year, with bar colour segments corresponding to the various products released. Similar to the map, incidents can be re-categorized by clicking on the side buttons to view a breakdown of incidents by status, what happened, why it happened, and province/territory. Open data can be freely used and shared by anyone for any purpose. The data for these graphs are available [CSV]. Have you checked out the CER's interactive incident data visualization? This tool offers a deep dive into the CER's incident data trends, exploring incidents across all CER regulated companies. Operations and maintenance activities Section updated: May 2025
Oil and gas pipeline companies regularly conduct routine operations and maintenance (O&M) activities on CER regulated pipelines. These activities include things such as pipeline repairs, investigative and integrity digs, and many other activities while promoting safety, security, environmental protection, economic efficiency, and respect for the rights of those that may be affected. Companies are required to adhere to Canadian Energy Regulator Act’s Onshore Pipeline Regulations and operate their facilities in a manner that is safe and protects the environment. Authorizations for pipelines typically allow companies to construct and operate a facility, and companies are not required to apply for additional approval to undertake most O&M activities. In certain circumstances, companies are required to notify the CER in advance with sufficient information to make a determination as to whether to inspect O&M activities that could result in safety consequences to landowners or the public, environmental consequences, or a negative impact on normal third-party use of the right-of-way (ROW) or adjacent property. Operations and maintenance activities include: Where any of the following restrictions exist, the company must apply to the Commission in accordance with the CER Act and the related regulations and may not carry out the proposed activity until approval from the Commission has been obtained. The restrictions apply where: O&M activities do not include: Data Source: Open Government Description: The above bar chart displays the number of O&M activities from 2015 to current, arranged based on the starting year of the activity. Each bar is stacked based on several parameters, with the default view showing the province/territory where the O&M activity occurred. Navigation buttons to the right of the bar chart provide the option to view the number of O&M activities by province/territory, if the activity includes an integrity dig, if in-stream work is required, if there are fish present, and if there are species at risk present. View the requirements and guidance notes (O&M Guidelines) for more information on how these events are regulated while promoting safety, security, environmental protection, economic efficiency, and respect for the rights of those that may be affected. Contaminated sites and remediation Section updated: May 2025
As part of the CER’s environmental protection activities, we require companies to manage and remediate contamination throughout the lifecycle of the facilities. As a first step, regulated companies are required to report contamination to the CER through the online submission of the Notification of Contamination (NOC). After the NOC is submitted, companies must demonstrate they are actively managing the contamination according to the Remediation Process Guide. The progress and current status of remediation at the contaminated site are captured in the annual update submitted by a company each year for a contaminated site. Third party contamination is on-site contamination that is shown to not be emanating or migrating from the company’s facilities or company-owned or leased lands or Right-of-Way. While third-party contamination is not the result of company activities, the CER still requires that this contamination is reported to the CER through the submission of the NOC. The dashboard below contains information that is contained in the NOC's and annual updates found in REGDOCS. The CER publishes NOCs that have been submitted to the CER since August 2018, when the CER started collecting this information electronically and annual updates that have been submitted since 2021. For information on contaminated sites for which NOCs were submitted prior to August 2018, email remediation@cer-rec.gc.ca. There are many different methods and approaches to remediate contamination. Thus, when a company submits a plan for remediation (i.e., remedial action plan) for CER review, they are required to include an options analysis to support the remedial method chosen, select appropriate remediation criteria and demonstrate engagement with potentially affected persons, among other requirements. CER analysts also review closure reports submitted by the company once the remediation is completed to ensure remediation has been completed appropriately. Data Source: Open Government Description: The above map displays the approximate location of contaminated sites that have been reported since August 2018. The map defaults to show contaminated sites as bubbles which are coloured based on the year the Notice of Contamination was submitted. Contaminated sites on the map can be re-categorized based on the province/territory, if the site is within 30 metres of a water body, and the applicable land use at the site. The contaminated sites can also be toggled to display a stacked bar chart of events over time by clicking on the contaminated sites trends button above the map. The stacked bars display the number of contaminated sites reported by year. Like the map, contaminated sites can be re-categorized by clicking on the side buttons to view a breakdown of contaminated sites by site status, activity at time of discovery, pipeline or facility, and contaminant type. Damage prevention regulations contravention reports Section updated: May 2025
Damage prevention is where people and pipelines meet; it is the proactive process that keeps people, the environment, and pipelines safe. The CER takes action to protect Canadians and the environment. Some of these actions include having safety requirements for activities near the pipelines that we regulate. Unauthorized activities on or around pipelines are unsafe and illegal. If pipelines are contacted or damaged, the result could be very serious. The CER Damage Prevention Regulations (DPRs) outline the obligations of the pipeline companies to have robust damage prevention and public awareness programs that provide people living and working near pipelines the information to ensure those activities near their pipelines are done safely with respect to the pipeline. The DPRs also outline the requirements for people living and working near pipelines to communicate with pipeline companies when they are planning any construction activity (digging, building, driving on the right-of-way) and to follow the instructions that the pipeline company gives them. Damage prevention is a shared responsibility, and we all play a part in making sure that everyone stays safe when working near a pipeline. Pipeline companies must immediately report to the CER any activity near their pipelines that does not follow the rules and specifications set out in the DPRs. These violations are called contravention reports. The CER provides an Open Government dataset containing information on each reported contravention. Some summary statistics and a dashboard displaying this data is available below. Data Source: Open Government Description: The above map displays the location of DPR contravention reports that have been reported for the pipeline system over the past five plus years. The map defaults to show DPR contravention reports as bubbles which are coloured based on whether the pipe was damaged. DPR contravention reports on the map can be re-categorized based on whether there was a ground disturbance, the year, and who discovered the event. The DPR contravention reports data can also be toggled to display a stacked bar chart of events over time by clicking on the DPR Contravention Reports Trends button above the map. The stacked bars display the number of DPR contravention reports by year, with bar colour segments corresponding to the event type. Similar to the map, DPR contravention reports can be re-categorized by clicking on the side buttons to view a breakdown of events by whether pipe was damaged, who discovered the event, and method of discovery. Emergency management Section updated: June 2025
The CER checks to make sure companies are keeping pipelines safe by doing inspections, in-depth safety audits, and other activities. Yet, even with these precautions, an emergency could still happen. Sound emergency management practices improve public safety and environmental protection outcomes, and provide for more effective emergency response. The CER holds its regulated companies responsible for anticipating, preventing, mitigating, and managing emergencies of any size or duration. Each company must have an emergency management program that includes detailed emergency procedures manuals to guide its response in an emergency. We oversee the emergency management program of a regulated company’s project for its entire operation. The CER requires companies to publish information on their emergency management program and their emergency procedures manuals on their websites so Canadians can access them. To view Genesis Pipeline’s Emergency Response plan, go to its website.
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Trust fund balance ($)
1,044,101
1,389,678
1,738,074
2,093,285
2,460,683
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Revenue (thousand $)
661.5
594.5
512.6
461.7
359.2
245.3
3,542
3,873
3,570
3,101
Expenses (thousand $)
45
43.2
55.4
57.5
61.9
52.5
2,284
2,951
2,105
2.2
Net income (thousand $)
453.2
405.2
336
297
218.5
141.7
877
-554
1,421
-1,176
Disclaimer
Rating Agency
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
DBRS credit rating
BBB (low)
BBB (low)
BBB (low)
BBB (low)
BBB (low)
BBB (low)
Discontinued
Discontinued
Discontinued
Moody's credit rating
Ba1
Ba1
Ba1
Ba1
Ba1
Ba2
Ba2
Ba2
Ba2
S&P credit rating
BB+
BB+
BB+
BB+
BB+
BB-
BB-
BB
-
Conditions Compliance
In-Progress
Closed
Dashboard instructions
Source and description
Reported Incidents
What is an incident? (Onshore Pipeline Regulations (OPR))
What is an incident? (Processing Plant Regulations (PPR))
Incidents and the CER
CER Status
Incident type definitions: one incident can have multiple types
Are there any incidents near me?
Source and description
Operations and Maintenance Activities
What activities are O&M activities (eligible activities)?
What O&M Activities require CER approval (restrictions on eligible activities)?
What kinds of activities are not O&M activities (ineligible activities)?
Source and description
Contaminated Sites and Remediation
Are there any contaminated sites near me?
Source and description
Damage Prevention Regulations Contravention Reports
Source and description