Pipelines

There are approximately 45,000 kilometres of federally regulated pipelines in Canada, comprising a pipeline system that connects oil and gas production wells in remote parts of the country to domestic and export markets in urban centres. In 2006, these pipelines shipped more than $110 billion worth of crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas liquids, and natural gas at an estimated transportation cost of $4.7 billion. In early 2008 and extending into the next decade, pipeline operators plan to build 8,663 kilometres of crude oil, products, and natural gas pipelines in Canada.

Maximizing the benefits derived from oil and gas resources in Canada’s North requires long, high-strength steel pipelines that operate at high pressures and high efficiency. To ensure reliable operation, public safety, and environmental protection, the design of these pipelines must include strategies for controlling fracture and corrosion.

The purpose of the Pipelines research program at the CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory (CANMET-MTL) is to ensure deliverability of oil and natural gas, public safety, and environmental protection by carrying out research and development on pipeline reliability. CANMET-MTL assesses the strength, fracture, and corrosion properties of the advanced steels and other materials that are planned for use in pipelines, including the technology for field welding, to the extent that these control pipeline integrity and long-term reliable performance.
The objectives of the Pipelines program are:

  • To meet the federal government needs for science and technology information on the regulation and maintenance of aging pipelines and the regulation and construction of new pipelines to help federal decision-makers fulfill their regulatory responsibilities and to reduce environmental impacts;
  • To develop innovative strategies to advance steel technology, to control fracture and corrosion (including coatings for corrosion control), and to enhance pipeline reliability for new and existing pipelines;
  • To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from pipelines by increasing the efficiency of transportation through the use of high-strength steels and high operating pressures of pipelines;
  • To enhance competitiveness by advancing materials and joining technologies for new and existing pipelines.

Research in the Pipelines program falls predominantly within four general areas: