CALGARY, ALBERTA–(Marketwired – Aug. 11, 2015) – Alliance Pipeline today announced it is planning to initiate a resumption to operational service on its mainline pipeline system commencing with receipt of operational linepack on Wednesday, August 12. Alliance is targeting the lifting of the Force Majeure and resumption of full contract firm service on Thursday, August 13.
Flaring operations at mainline block valve sites near Arcola and the Alameda compressor station in southeastern Saskatchewan have progressed well. Flaring is anticipated to be completed on Wednesday.
“Our flaring operation is on track and the amount of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in the small segment of pipeline is being reduced to a safe level,” said Daniel Sutherland, Vice President, Commercial Operations. “Our monitoring indicates that all ambient air quality standards continue to be met.”
To replace natural gas lost as a result of the flaring process, and to increase the pressure to expedite the flow in the pipeline, Alliance has issued a request to existing shippers for purchase of up to 400 million cubic feet of natural gas. As Alliance acquires and receives the natural gas, the company will begin a carefully controlled restart of the pipeline to achieve the targeted resumption of service on Thursday, August 13.
Alliance shut down its mainline pipeline system on August 7, 2015 following the detection of H2S that entered its system as a result of complications experienced by an upstream operator. The company has established an information website, www.aplshutdown.com, and will issue further updates as more information becomes available.
About the Alliance Pipeline system:
The Alliance Pipeline system consists of an approximately 3,719-kilometer (2,311-mile) integrated Canadian and U.S. natural gas transmission pipeline system, delivering rich natural gas from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and the Williston Basin to the Chicago market hub. The United States portion of the system consists of approximately 1,577 kilometers (980 miles) of infrastructure including the 128-kilometer (80-mile) Tioga Lateral in North Dakota. The Alliance system delivers, on average, about 45.3 million standard cubic metres (or 1.6 billion standard cubic feet) of natural gas per day. More information about the company is available at www.alliancepipeline.com.
Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership (“Alliance Canada”) owns the Canadian portion of the Alliance Pipeline system. Alliance Pipeline L.P. (“Alliance U.S.A.”) owns the U.S. portion of the Alliance Pipeline system. Both Alliance Canada and Alliance U.S.A. are owned 50 percent each by affiliates of Enbridge Income Fund Holdings Inc. (TSX:ENF) and Veresen Inc. (TSX:VSN).
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MEDIA CONTACT: Alliance Pipeline
Rob Gray
Corporate Communications
1-888-533-8937
www.alliancepipeline.com / www.aplshutdown.com
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