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. For example, NGTL connects to the Westcoast pipeline at multiple locations. At this time, the Westcoast pipeline is not available in the ‘Connecting Canadian Pipeline’ data layer on the NGTL interactive map. Please see the Interactive Pipeline Map to see a more comprehensive picture of CER-regulated pipelines.
This information is also not intended for locating pipelines for construction activities or any other soil disturbance in the area around a pipeline. Please check our Damage Prevention Website for information on where to Click Before you Dig.
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.
The pipeline data contained in this map is subject to licensing terms and may not be reproduced, published, distributed or transferred in whole or in part. The map also contains information license under the Open Government License - Canada.
The Canadian Energy Regulator is bound by the Official Language Act and relevant Treasury Board policies. However, some material on these pages originates from organizations not subject to the Official Languages Act and is made available on this project page in the language in which it was written.
Sources and Description
Sources
The information contained in these maps is obtained from the following sources: Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) and British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission (BCOGC) (Provincially Regulated Pipelines); CER, from various reports (Oil and Gas Resources); 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); North American Cooperation on Energy Information (NACEI) (Power Plants).
Description
The NGTL System map displays the NGTL System connected pipelines and areas of natural gas production. NGTL is a large natural gas gathering and transportation system with receipt and delivery locations located across the province of Alberta, as well as northeastern British Columbia.
Pipeline Operations
Many systems regulated by the CER are only transportation transmission systems. NGTL is both a gathering and a transmission system.
The NGTL system collects natural gas from Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) production areas. It then transports the gas to markets and customers across North America (through connected pipelines).
NGTL, which started operating in 1957, was originally provincially regulated but was transferred to the NEB (now CER) in 2009.
Supply Areas
The Montney Formation of Alberta and British Columbia has been the target of oil and gas exploration since the 1950s.
Advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies made it possible to develop areas in the Montney Formation that were previously not economical to develop.
Hydraulic fracturing occurs when fluids are pumped down a well and into a formation at very high pressures. This process creates fractures in the rock that allows oil and gas in the formation to flow into the well.
The Duvernay Shale is organic-rich mudstone, a fine-grained rock. It extends beneath 130,000 square kilometers of Alberta or about 20% of the province.
It was formed from the mud between reefs and shelves from an inland sea in western Canada over 300 million years ago.
Recent Projects
The 2021 NGTL System Expansion Projectwill add approximately 344 km of natural gas pipeline and associated facilities near the communities of Grand Prairie, Edson, Nordegg, Didsbury, and Beiseker in Alberta.
Project monitoring and compliance information is available in our REGDOCS database [Folder 3575553].
The Edson Mainline Expansion Projectwill add approximately 85 km of natural gas pipeline and associated facilities near the communities of Rocky Mountain House and Edson, Alberta.
Project monitoring and compliance information is available in our REGDOCS database [Folder 3760382].
The North Corridor Expansion Project will add approximately 81 km of natural gas pipeline and associated facilities near the communities of Bear Canyon, Red Earth Creek, and North Star, Alberta.
Project monitoring and compliance information is available in our REGDOCS database [Folder 3760383].
The West Path Delivery 2023 Projectwill add approximately 41 km of natural gas pipeline and associated facilities near the communities of Turner Valley, Longview, and Lundbrek, Alberta.
Project monitoring and compliance information is available in our REGDOCS database [Folder 3968941].
Demand
Alberta’s oil sands operations currently account for about one-third of Canadian natural gas demand.
The NGTL system includes multiple delivery points in the oil sands area.
Natural gas is used in the oil sands to generate steam for in situ oil production and to separate bitumen from sand in oil sands mining operations.
Power generators in Alberta, including Capital Power, Heartland Generation, and TransAlta, are converting coal-fired power plants to use natural gas instead.
As a result, there is an increased demand for pipeline capacity on the NGTL system to deliver natural gas to power plants.
Canadian producers are seeking overseas markets for their natural gas production. International trade of natural gas is usually in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is shipped in specialized tankers.
One LNG export facility, LNG Canada, is under construction in Kitimat, British Columbia.
Natural gas from the North Montney will be transported on the 670 km Coastal GasLink pipeline (regulated by the BC Oil and Gas Commission). Some of the natural gas will also be supplied by NGTL at the new Willow Valley Interconnect delivery point.
Indigenous Monitoring
In support of its commitment to Reconciliation and to meaningfully involve Indigenous People in compliance and oversight activities, in 2021 the CER launched anIndigenous Monitoring Programfor the NGTL system.
Indigenous Monitoring activities include field inspections which look at safety management, integrity management, and environmental protection, among others.
Involving Indigenous monitors has enhanced the CER’s awareness and understanding of the diversity of Indigenous traditional and cultural practices, including specific expertise in traditional land use, sacred sites, and historical knowledge.
The program applies to the entire NGTL pipeline system, including oversight of recently approved projects.
NGTL is a large natural gas gathering and transportation system with receipt and delivery locations located across the province of Alberta, as well as Northeastern British Columbia.
Capacity on the NGTL is measured at specific key points. At Upstream of James River, the capacity is approximately 12.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). At East Gate, the capacity is approximately 4.8 Bcf/d. At West Gate, the capacity is approximately 3.0 Bcf/d.
Major interconnected pipelines
TC Canadian Mainline, Foothills system, Wescoast / Enbridge BC pipeline, Alliance pipeline
Official CER documents related to the construction, operation and maintenance of the NGTL pipeline can be found here: NGTL regulatory documents[Folder 554112].
NGTL has added pipeline facilities in recent years to increase capacity and relieve bottlenecks in key areas of its system. These facilities largely connect increasing production in northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia to intra-Alberta markets and U.S. export markets. Between 2015 and 2020, NGTL filed nearly 100 applications[Folder 554112]for facilities projects to the CER, including pipeline expansions. The NGTL System currently has a $9.9 billion infrastructure program underway to add 3.5 Bcf/d of incremental delivery capacity from 2020 to 2024.
The $1.3 billion 2017 NGTL System Expansion Project[Folder 2758964]was approved[Filing A77316]by the CER in June 2016. The project consisted of 230 km of pipeline in five separate loops and two compression stations. The expansion allowed NGTL to move growing supply from the James River area to intra-Alberta markets such as the oil sands.
The $409 million West Path Delivery Project[Folder 3422051]was approved[Document A98761-1]by the CER in April 2019. The 21.5 km of pipeline connects Western Canadian gas producers with increased access to intra-basin and export markets, including markets in the Pacific Northwest and California. The project increased export capacity at the AB-B.C. border from 2 758 to 3 085 TJ/d. For more information, see theWest Path Delivery ProjectCER information page.
The $2.3 billion 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project[Folder 3575553]was approved[Document C04761-1]by the CER in February 2020 and will consist of 344 km of new pipeline in northwest Alberta. The expansion project includes eight pipeline section loops and three compressor station unit additions providing 1.45 Bcf/d of incremental system capacity. The expansion will connect incremental supply to growing intra-Alberta and export markets. For more information, see theNGTL System Expansion ProjectCER information page.
NGTL has also proposed projects to increase gas deliveries to its system’s border points (known as East Gate and West Gate). The $193 million West Path Delivery 2022 Project application[Folder 3930580]was submitted to the CER in June 2020 and the $355.5 million West Path Delivery 2023 Project application[Folder 3968941]was submitted October 2020. Both projects would connect western Canadian gas producers with increased access to intra-basin and export markets, including markets in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and California. For more information, seeWest Path 2023 ProjectCER information page.
Throughputs at the Upstream of James River key point have increased by 0.7% year over year, from an average of 11.09 Bcf/d in Q3 2023 to an average of 11.16 Bcf/d in Q3 2024 (most recent quarter of data).
Throughputs in Q3 2024 are 11% above the five-year average.
Key Point Description
Receives gas from the Horn River, North Montney Mainline and Groundbirch pipelines in the northwestern portion of the NGTL system. Typically the highest traffic key point on the system, capturing a significant amount of gas produced in the WCSB.
Annual Average Throughput: Upstream of James River (Bcf/d)
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Intra-Canada
5.8
5.7
5.5
5.1
5.3
5.8
6.1
6.4
7.2
7.8
8.3
8.8
9.7
9.9
9.8
10.2
11.0
11.5
11.6
Note: The physical capacity of a pipeline is based on many factors such as the products being carried, direction of flow, pipeline pumping capacity, and maintenance work or other pressure restrictions. The actual physical capacity of the pipeline may, at times, be higher than the assumed operational capacity stated here.
Dashboard instructions
Click on a key point button above the chart & map to view traffic at a different location. The map shows approximate locations on the pipeline where throughputs & capacity are recorded by the pipeline operator.
Click and drag your mouse on the area chart to zoom into the desired date range. Click on the Reset Zoom button to reset the full date range.
Click on the chart legend items below the chart to remove & add sections of data as required.
The key point trends are calculated using quarterly average traffic at the key point. Natural gas throughput trends are displayed year over year (last full quarter of data compared to the same quarter last year). Crude oil and liquids key point trends are displayed quarter over quarter (last full quarter of data compared to the previous quarter).
Note: The five-year average is calculated for natural gas key points using the total throughput across all trade types and direction of flows. For bi-directional key points (both export and import) the throughput is displayed for both directions, instead of the five-year average.
Description: The above dashboard displays pipeline throughput and capacity at key point(s) along the system. Where possible, the five-year average and five-year range for throughput is shown with the current year throughput to better highlight the trends. For pipeline key points with a defined location, a map is displayed next to the graph showing the approximate key point location where pipeline throughput and capacity are recorded.
A conversion of 1 cubic meter = 35.3147 Cubic feet (cf) natural gas is used in this dashboard
Markets
Section updated: October 2024
Markets
The NGTL pipeline is a large gathering and transmission system that collects natural gas from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin production area. It then transports the gas to customers in Alberta, and delivers gas across Canada and the U.S. through connected pipelines, such as the Foothills pipeline, the TC Canadian Mainline, the Westcoast pipeline. In 2020, approximately 46% of annual NGTL flows were delivered to Alberta and British Columbia, 19% to Pacific Northwest and California, 19% to the US Midwest and 16% to eastern Canada and northeast U.S.
The NGTL system will also supply a portion of natural gas to the Coastal GasLink pipeline (via the proposed Willow Valley Interconnect), which will then deliver gas to the LNG Canada facility. From there, the gas will be converted to a liquefied state and exported to global markets.
NGTL has operated under revenue requirement settlements since 2010 and is currently operating under the 2020-2024 Revenue Requirement Settlement [Folder 3923068]. The settlement determines the components of NGTL’s revenue requirement, or cost of service.
In March 2020, the Commission of the CER approved NGTL’s application for the System Rate Design and Services [Folder 3752364]. The application outlined the toll design methodology and terms and conditions of service for the NGTL system, as well as a surcharge formula to be paid by FT-R shippers on the North Montney Mainline segment. It was supported by a contested negotiated settlement. On 27 March 2024, the Commission of the CER approved the continuation of the tolling methodology for the North Montney Mainline [Folder 4370212].
Customers contract separately for delivery and receipt services on the NGTL system.
Firm Transportation Delivery (FT-D) tolls are calculated based on the delivery points and service offering, which are categorized as Group 1 Delivery Points (interconnection points with major downstream pipeline systems including Foothills, TC Mainline, and Coastal GasLink), Group 2 Delivery Points (any delivery point that is not a Group 1 or Group 3 delivery point), and Group 3 Delivery Points (non-Group 1 Delivery Points and premium service). In the graph below, FT-D 1-year term tolls are shown for the average of Group 1 Delivery Points, all Group 2 Delivery Points, and all Group 3 Delivery Points.
Firm Transportation Receipt (FT-R) tolls are specific to each receipt point and subject to pricing floors and ceilings of +/- 8¢/Mcf from the average FT-R rate. FT-R shippers on the North Montney Mainline segment of the NGTL system are also subject to an additional surcharge. In the graph below, FT-R 3-year term tolls are shown for the average rate across all receipt points.
Official CER documents related to the traffic, tolls and tariffs for NGTL can be found here: NGTL toll documents [Folder 554137].
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.
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 2016, NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. estimated it would cost approximately $2.5 billion to do this. In 2024, this number was revised to $5.2 billion. These funds are being collected and set aside in a trust. Collection period end date is December 31, 2045.
Table 1: NGTL’s abandonment trust fund balance
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Trust fund balance ($)
527,900,000
663,700,000
747,400,000
707,000,000
798,500,000
Official CER documents related to abandonment funding can be found here, sorted by year and by company: abandonment funding documents [Folder 3300366].
Pipeline companies report important financial information to the CER quarterly or annually. A solid 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 comes from NGTL’s quarterly filings[Folder 567096]filed with the CER.
NGTL’s revenue, net income and rate base have been growing due to system expansions and increased throughput.
Table 2: NGTL financial data
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Revenue (million $)
1,767.1
1,821.9
1,865.8
2,093.7
2,151.6
2,533.9
2,693.6
2,960.2
3,358.4
Net income (million $)
245.3
280.6
303.9
349
376.6
508.9
551.6
629.4
723.6
Average rate base (million $)
6,094.1
6,526.3
7,122
8,395.5
9,251.6
12,605.1
13,696.2
15,497.1
18,030.4
Return on rate base (%)
7.49
7.67
7.38
7.18
6.95
6.86
6.67
6.73
6.92
Deemed equity ratio (%)
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
ROE (%)
10.06
10.75
10.67
10.39
10.18
10.09
10.07
10.15
10.03
Disclaimer
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
NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TC Energy Corporation. TC Energy Corporation has operations in Canada, the United States and Mexico. It operates three core businesses: natural gas pipelines, liquids pipelines and power generation. NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. and TC Energy Corporation's credit ratings remain investment grade.
Credit ratings provide an idea 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.
Table 3: NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. credit ratings
Rating Agency
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
DBRS credit rating
A (low)
A (low)
A (low)
A (low)
A (low)
A (low)
A (low)
A (low)
A (low)
Moody's credit rating
A3
A3
A3
A3
Baa1
Baa1
Baa1
Baa1
Baa1
Financial regulatory audits
Section updated: March 2025
The CER audits pipeline companies to confirm compliance with the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, regulations, CER orders, and CER decisions. Financial regulatory audits focus on toll and tariff matters such as detecting cross-subsidies. NGTL’s last audit was completed on July 25 2022.
Official CER documents related to NGTL’s financial regulatory audits can be found here: [Folder 2905712].
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.
In-Progress
This status refers to conditions that continue to be monitored by the CER. This happens when:
condition filings have not yet been received by the CER; or,
filings have been received but are under review or do not yet meet requirements; or,
a project is not completed and it has conditions, which have not been met; or,
a project has a post-construction condition, but a requirement has not yet been completed; or,
some conditions may be active indefinitely or refer to the continued operation of a pipeline.
Closed
This status refers to:
condition requirements that have been satisfied, and no further submissions from the company are required; or
conditions whose filings or actions apply to a specific phase that have been fulfilled as the phase is completed (i.e. a specific filing during construction phase). Note: comments on the required actions can still be received.
Dashboard: NGTL System - In Progress Conditions by Region
Some conditions are not tied to a geographic location.
No geographic location summary for NGTL System:
Closed conditions: 70
In Progress conditions: 40
Dashboard instructions
Click on a region to view conditions info
Click map area outside of regions to hide info
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.
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: November 2024
Reported Incidents
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.
What is an incident? (Onshore Pipeline Regulations (OPR))
As defined in the OPR, “incident” means an occurrence that results in:
the death or serious injury to a person;
a significant adverse effect on the environment;
an unintended fire or explosion;
an unintended or uncontained release of low vapour pressure (LVP) hydrocarbons in excess of 1.5 m³
an unintended or uncontrolled release of gas or high vapour pressure (HVP) hydrocarbons;
the operation of a pipeline beyond its design limits as determined under CSA Z662 or CSA Z276 or any operating limits imposed by the CER.
What is an incident? (Processing Plant Regulations (PPR))
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:
the death or serious injury to a person;
a significant adverse effect on the environment;
an unintended fire or explosion that results in or has the potential to result in damage to company, public/crown or personal property;
an unintended or uncontained release of low vapour pressure (LVP) hydrocarbons in excess of 1.5 m³
an unintended or uncontrolled release of gas, HVP hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide or other poisonous gas; or
the operation of a plant beyond its design limits or any limits imposed by the CER.
Incidents and the CER
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.
CER Status
Initially Submitted: The company has notified the CER that an incident has occurred and provided preliminary information. A review has been initiated.
Submitted: The company has submitted all of the required information and the CER is reviewing the incident.
Closed: The CER’s incident review has been completed and the file is closed.
The NGTL System has reported a total of 461 incidents since 2008. Of those incidents, 112 have resulted in some volume of product being released, with natural gas - sweet being the most commonly released substance. The dashboard below provides some more information about these product release incidents.
Part of the CER's incident review classifies incidents based on the
circumstances that directly led to the incident (what happened), and the underlying reasons for the incident (why it happened).
On this pipeline system, the most common what happened is external interference and the most common why it happened is maintenance . Take a look at the incident trends section of the dashboard below for definitions and a breakdown of what and why.
The dashboard below displays only the incidents that resulted in a release of product from the pipeline, however there are other important incident types that may not appear on the dashboard. Of NGTL System's reported incidents, 18 have resulted in adverse environmental effects. There have been 27 serious injuries, and 1 fatality related to incident events. Open the dropdown below to view the definitions of these incident types.
Incident type definitions: one incident can have multiple types
Release of Substance (featured in the dashboard) - Any time a product is unintentionally released. (Releases of non-gas low pressure products in volumes of less than 1.5 m³ are exempt from reporting.)
Adverse Environmental Effects - When any chemical substance is released at a concentration or volume that has the potential to change the ambient environment in a manner that would cause harm to human life, wildlife or vegetation (e.g., glycol, potassium carbonate, methanol, methanol mix from hydrostatic testing, etc.).
Explosion - An unintended explosion
Fatality - Any death involving employees, contractors or members of the public related to the construction, operation, maintenance or abandonment of pipelines
Fire - An unintended fire
Operation Beyond Design Limits Includes situations, such as:
over-pressures - i.e., pressures that are higher than the maximum the equipment was designed to safely handle;
vibration beyond design limits;
slope movements causing movement in the pipeline beyond design limits;
pipe exposures in rivers or streams; and
introduction of an inappropriate product (e.g., sour gas in excess of CSA limits)
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.
Serious Injury (CER or Transportation Safety Board) - Any serious injury involving employees, contractors or members of the public related to the construction, operation or maintenance of pipelines.
Dashboard: NGTL System - Incidents with a product release
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.
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: November 2024
Operations and Maintenance Activities
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.
What activities are O&M activities (eligible activities)?
Operations and maintenance activities include:
All activities necessary to safely operate an existing pipeline;
Maintenance activities, upgrades or repairs to an existing pipeline or part of a pipeline that do not increase the approved maximum operating pressure (MOP), the stress level or diameter of the pipeline; or
Physically removing an existing section of pipe up to 5 km in length, and putting a new section of pipe in its place, as long as this replacement does not increase the approved MOP, stress level or diameter of the pipeline.
What O&M Activities require CER approval (restrictions on eligible activities)?
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:
The work includes welding on an in-service pipeline by a pipeline company that has not previously performed in-service welding in accordance with the requirements of CSA Z662-15, Clause 7.17, ‘Welding on In-Service Piping’, or the equivalent clause in the most recent edition of CSA Z662; or
The work involves the construction of an aerial crossing, excluding work on company owned or leased land relating to facilities (e.g., terminal stations, processing plants, compressor/pump stations).
What kinds of activities are not O&M activities (ineligible activities)?
O&M activities do not include:
Upgrades that result in increases above previously approved and specified levels to:
the MOP,
stress levels,
the diameter of the pipeline, and/or
airborne emissions or noise levels.
"Looping" (i.e., adding pipe parallel or adjacent to, and interconnected with, an existing pipeline for the general purpose of increasing capacity);
Construction of a new pipeline; or
Deactivation (for longer than 12 months), reactivation (where a pipeline has been deactivated for more than 12 months), decommissioning, or abandonment.
The dashboard and figures presented below only include O&M activities from 2015 onwards that require notification to the CER. Consult the O&M Requirements and Guidance Notes for a list of O&M event activities that call for notification to be filed with the CER.
Since 2015, there have been a total of 946 O&M activities reported by the NGTL System. When the activity involves an integrity dig, the activity may entail exposing an area of the pipeline by performing one or more integrity assessments. There have been 1 663 individual integrity digs as part of the reported O&M activities.
These O&M activities can occur anywhere along or near the pipeline right-of-way, including near populated areas. In the past year (2023), O&M activities have occurred most often near Fort McMurray AB, Edson AB, Medicine Hat AB among others.
There have been 7 O&M activities for which new temporary or permanent land is required and is located within critical habitat for any Endangered or Threatened species listed on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act. When this happens, the company may be required to meet additional regulatory obligations outside of the CER Act, such as the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Species at Risk Act.
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: November 2024
Contaminated Sites and Remediation
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.
The NGTL System has reported a total of 85 contaminated sites since 2011 when the first Remediation Process Guide was first published. There have been 17 contaminated sites reported since August 2018, and information about these contaminated sites is featured in the dashboard below.
Dashboard: NGTL System - Contaminated Sites (post Aug 15, 2018)
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 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.
From 2019 to 2024, there have been a total of 169 contraventions reported for the NGTL System. Of these, 77 have included a ground disturbance, and 11 have caused physical damage to the pipeline such as dent or gouge. A ground disturbance contravention happens when someone digs below 30 cm within the pipelines prescribed area without first getting consent from the pipeline company or when a locate request hasn't been made. These events can be considered as near-miss events that could have led to a more serious pipeline incident.
The CER reviews all contravention reports submitted by regulated companies, and further action may be required of the company. From 2019 to 2024, 10 contraventions have required additional action.
Dashboard: NGTL System - DPR Contravention Reports (2019-2024)
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.
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.
