Access Pipeline Fact Sheet #1 - PIPELINE CONSTRUCTIONBuilding a pipeline may involve hundreds of workers, tons of steel pipe, and dozens of pieces of heavy duty equipment such as backhoes. Every step is guided by specialists with years of experience in building oil pipelines that meet the highest industry and government standards for safety, environmental protection, and operational reliability.

At Access Pipeline we do all we can to minimize disruption to landowners and stakeholders during the construction process. We carefully plan every step of the project and use multiple construction crews so that we can install the pipeline and restore the land to its previous use as efficiently as possible.

ABOUT THE PIPELINEThe pipeline is constructed of high strength carbon steel, manufactured in accordance with Canadian Standards Association (CSA) pipeline regulations.

CLEARINgClearing is the removal of all trees and brush from the construction work area and pipeline right-of-way (ROW). The stumps and debris are disposed of by various methods including burning, chipping and spreading, hauling to approved disposal areas, or storing along the right-of-way with landowner approval.

gRAdINgGrading or levelling of the workspace is required to provide a relatively level surface to allow the safe operation of the specialized heavy equipment required to dig the trench and install the pipe.

TRENCHINgThe width of the trench to be excavated is determined by the space required to safely lower the pipe into the ground. The excavated material is piled within the workspace and later reused to bury the pipe.

ROAd CROSSINgSRoad crossings are accomplished in two distinct ways: 1) an open cut, with appropriate traffic control, or 2) a road bore, where specialized equipment drills under the road without surface disturbance of the road itself. In each case, additional temporary workspace for staging of equipment and fabrication of pipe is required on both sides of the road.

WATER BOdy CROSSINgSA variety of carefully regulated methods may be used to cross streams and rivers. All of the methods to be used by Access Pipeline safeguard the environmental integrity of the water body.

STRINgINgSteel pipe sections called “joints” are transported to the construction worksite and “strung” out or placed along the route in the areas where they are to be welded together.

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Northeast Expansion

BENdINgThe pipe joints are bent to follow the route of the pipeline and contours of the land. A specialized pipe-bending machine is used and the degree of the bend shall not exceed allowable limits.

WELdINg & NON-dESTRUCTIvE INSPECTIONOnce the individual pipe joints are bent to fit the trench, they are welded together on the trench bank into long continuous sections. The welding process is continu-ously monitored and performed by qualified welders using approved welding procedures. Each weld made on the pipeline is visually inspected and radiographs or ultrasonic images are processed on site to ensure the integrity of every weld.

COATINgThe pipe is coated at the factory and shipped to the field for installation. In addition, corrosion resistant coat-ing is applied to each of the weld joint areas after the radiographic inspection is complete and the weld has been approved. The coating on the entire pipe section is electronically checked before the pipe is placed in the trench and repaired as necessary prior to backfilling the trench.

LOWERINg-INThe long pipe sections are lowered into the trench by special pipe laying tractors called “side booms.” Care is taken that the pipe coating is not damaged during this process. In rocky terrain, the pipe is placed on sandbag padding to prevent damage to the coating. The ends of the long pipe “strings” are welded together in the trench to form a continuous pipeline.

BACkFILLINgOnce the pipe is completely in the trench, the excavated material that has been stored on the workspace is used to cover the pipeline. In rocky areas, a layer of rock-free pad soil is first placed all around the pipe to protect the coating.

HydROSTATIC TESTINgAs various lengths of the pipeline are completed and backfilled, the pipeline is filled with water and pressurized to a point higher than the maximum pressure at which the pipe will ever be operated. This test pressure is held for a mini-mum of eight continuous hours.

CLEANUP & RESTORATIONThis process starts as soon as the pipe is backfilled and continues until the entire construction work area is restored as closely as possible to its natural state. All grade cuts are rebuilt to their original contours and the work area is seed-ed, fertilized and mulched to restore ground cover and to minimize erosion. Temporary work spaces will be re-vegetat-ed and allowed to return to their pre-construction state, either wooded or open. The permanent pipeline right-of-way will periodically be mowed to prevent trees from growing in this area.

More information about the Northeast Expansion is available online at: www.accessexpansion.com

Northeast Expansion