Pipelines

There are approximately 45 000 kilometres of federally regulated pipelines in Canada. This pipeline system 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's worth of crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas liquids and natural gas at an estimated transportation cost of $4.7 billion. Since 2008, pipeline operators have been building 8663 kilometres of crude oil, petroleum product 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 CanmetMATERIALS is to ensure the deliverability of oil and natural gas, public safety, and environmental protection by carrying out research and development on pipeline reliability. CanmetMATERIALS assesses field-welding technology as well as the strength, fracture and corrosion properties of the advanced steels and other materials that stakeholders plan to use in pipelines, because these concerns control pipeline integrity and durability.

The objectives of the Pipelines program are:

  • To meet the federal government’s needs for science and technology information on the regulation and maintenance of aging pipelines and the regulation and construction of new pipelines, in order to help federal decision-makers fulfill their regulatory responsibilities and reduce environmental impacts;
  • To develop innovative strategies to advance steel technology to control fracture and corrosion (including through corrosion control coating) and to improve 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; and
  • To enhance competitiveness by combining technologies in new and existing pipelines and by improving construction methods.

The research conducted through the Pipelines program falls predominantly within these four general areas:

Publications and Reports