By JWN staff | Plains Midstream Canada has announced a proposed plan to expand its Rangeland Pipeline in Central Alberta to provide incremental takeaway capacity both to the Edmonton market hub and into the U.S. The Rangeland Pipeline connects with the Rocky Mountain Pipeline, which transports crude oil from the Canadian border and U.S. crude oil from Montana and North Dakota to destinations in Montana, Wyoming, and other interconnecting pipelines, according to the National Energy Board.
Subject to shipper commitments and regulatory approvals, Plains plans to increase Rangeland's current light crude oil capacity to approximately 200,000 barrels per day.
Service between Edmonton and Sundre will be expanded from 50,000 bbls/d to approximately 100,000 bbls/d and, additionally, will be capable of bi-directional service, the company said.
Sundre, south to the border, will be expanded from its current 20,000 barrels per day up to 100,000 barrels per day. The expansions will be staged into service during the last half of 2019 with full capacity realized in 2021.
"The Rangeland expansion provides a timely, efficient and cost-effective solution providing much needed market access and flexibility," Plains Midstream Canada executive vice-president Tyler Rimbey said in a statement.
"We remain focused on leveraging our existing systems in creative ways to meet the growing needs of our customers."
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See:
https://www.neb-one.gc.ca/nrg/ntgrtd/pplnprtl/pplnprfls/crdl/rr-eng.html
Pipeline system and key points
Updated September 2018
Plains Midstream Canada ULC (PMC) owns and operates the Aurora Pipeline. The Aurora Pipeline is the NEB-regulated border segment of the Rangeland Pipeline system. The Rangeland Pipeline system transports natural gas liquids, condensate, light sweet crude, and light sour crude between Edmonton, Alberta and refineries in the U.S. The Rangeland Pipeline is regulated by the Alberta Energy Regulator.
The Aurora Pipeline consists of 2 parallel (12-inch and 8-inch) 0.75 km sections of pipeline, starting near Carway, Alberta and ending at the Canada–U.S. border.
At the U.S. border, the Aurora Pipeline connects with the Glacier Pipeline, a segment of the Rocky Mountain Pipeline, which transports crude oil from the Canadian border and U.S. crude oil from Montana and North Dakota to destinations in Montana, Wyoming, and other interconnecting pipelines. The Rocky Mountain Pipeline is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The Aurora Pipeline commenced operations in 1962. At the end of 2017, NEB-regulated assets included 1.48 km of pipeline. Capacity of the Aurora Pipeline is 7 150 cubic metres per day (45 000 barrels per day).
Official NEB documents related to the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Aurora Pipeline are available: Plains Midstream Canada ULC regulatory documents (facilities) [Folder 534348].
You can see the Aurora Pipeline and all NEB-regulated pipelines on the Board’s Interactive Pipeline Map. The map shows more detailed location information, the products carried by each pipeline, the operating status and more.
image: https://www.neb-one.gc.ca/nrg/ntgrtd/pplnprtl/pplnprfls/crdl/mg/rr01-eng.jpg
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See:
https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Plains-proposes-Canadian-pipeline-expansions-to-14081661.php
Plains proposes Canadian pipeline expansions to ultimately connect to Texas
By Jordan Blum
Updated Houston's Plains All American is proposing pipeline expansions in Canada, Montana and Wyoming that would ultimately connect to new pipeline systems to deliver more Canadian crude to Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast.
The series of projects would offer more alternatives to deliver lighter-grade Canadian crude to Gulf Coast markets while other controversial projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline system continue to fight legal hurdles.
Plains said Tuesday it wants to essentially double the capacity of its Rangeland Pipeline from Edmonton to the U.S. border and then also expand its connecting Western Corridor pipeline system in Montana and Wyoming.
The idea is that these more affordable expansions could ultimately connect to the $2.5 billion Red Oak Pipeline system that Plains and Houston's Phillips 66 announced in June that they would build from Oklahoma to Houston, Beaumont and Corpus Christi.
"We remain focused on leveraging our existing systems in creative ways to meet the growing needs of our customers," said Tyler Rimbey, executive vice president for Plains in Canada.
While there are other options, Plains' expanded Western Corridor system could tie into Phillips 66's planned Liberty Pipeline from the Northern Rockies to Oklahoma.
The expansions and new pipelines are all expected to be completed in 2021.
While the Red Oak system would handle some Canadian crude, it'll ship a lot of Texas oil as well. The pipeline would go from the oil storage hub of Cushing, Okla. to Texas in Wichita Falls, where it would connect to existing pipeline systems from the booming Permian Basin.
The system would then trek near Houston to Sealy. And, from Sealy, new pipelines would carry the oil in two directions to various refining and port hubs: south to Corpus Christi and Ingleside and east to Houston and Beaumont.