CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Canadian energy company Enbridge (
TSX:T.ENB,
Stock Forum) said reversing an oil pipeline for eastern provinces has commercial support though spill concerns were clear above the din.
Enbridge aims to reverse the flow of oil from its 397-mile Line 9 oil pipeline and boost its capacity by 25 percent to 300,000 barrels per day. The company said the reversal would meet the demands for crude oil from the west of the country from markets in Ontario and Quebec.
Douglas Crowther, a lawyer representing the company's interest at a National Energy Board hearing, said there was considerable support for the reversal.
"The evidence amply demonstrates that the project is needed and that, if approved, would yield substantial benefits for shippers, Western Canadian oil producers and others alike," he was quoted by the National Post as saying Tuesday.
Provincial leaders, however, expressed concern about potential for oil spills in the region. Part of Line 9 runs through watersheds for Lake Ontario. Line 6B, an Enbridge pipeline in Michigan, burst open in 2010 and led to one of the costliest oil disasters in U.S. history.
The Post said protests are scheduled to coincide with additional NEB hearings this week.