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The North Montney Mainline (NMML) project constitutes the construction of a 305km-long gas pipeline proposed by NOVA Gas Transmission Limited (NGTL), a subsidiary of TransCanada. To be located in the Peace River Regional District of British Columbia, Canada, the pipeline will deliver natural gas to the existing NGTL facilities. NGTL will construct and operate the $1.5bn project.
The proposed pipeline will transport gas from North Montney to Alberta and North America, upon completion.
Environmental and technical analyses for the project were started in 2011 and National Energy Board’s (NEB) approval was sought in November 2013. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) performed environmental assessment studies for the project.
TransCanada filed a variance application with the NEB for the construction of the NMML project in March 2017.
Construction of the project is expected to commence in the first half of 2018 and is scheduled for completion in 2020.
Details of the North Montney Mainline project
The proposed pipeline will be an expansion to NGTL’s existing Groundbirch Mainline section (Saturn Section) located approximately 35km south-west of Fort Street John. The new pipeline will be divided into two sections, including the 180km-long Aitken Creek section and the 125km-long Kahta section. The diameter of the pipeline will be up to 42in.
The south end of the Aitken Creek section will be connected to the north end of the Saturn Section, while the Kahta section will be connected to the north end of the Aitken Creek section.
Related project
Alberta Clipper Pipeline Project, Canada
Enbridge Energy’s Alberta Clipper Project is a 1,607km pipeline spanning the US and Canada.
The pipeline will be interconnected with the proposed Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) project, which intends to provide natural gas to the proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG facility.
Other infrastructure that will be developed as part of the pipeline project includes valve sites, meter and compressor stations, as well as other support facilities.
The pipeline construction is expected to start in the first half of 2018, and the Aitken and Kahta sections are scheduled to be operational by 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Route of the gas pipeline in the Peace River Regional District
A 155km-long section of the pipeline will pass through the existing linear disturbances, aside or parallel, while the remaining section will be away from the linear disturbances.
Infrastructure details
Meter stations will be constructed to measure the volume and quality of the gas. Compressor stations and gas compression machinery will be installed to maintain the pressure inside the pipeline.
A supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system will be installed to monitor the data regularly from the meter stations, valve sites and compressor stations.
Safety measures
Welding checks will be performed by X-rays or ultrasonic rays during the construction to detect the defects in the pipeline. The pipeline will be coated to protect from corrosion.
Information about the pipeline’s internal conditions will be recorded using inspection devices known as ‘smart-pigs’. The pipeline will be regularly monitored at the monitoring stations, using satellite technology.
Key players involved with the North Montney Mainline Project
Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) performed the feasibility studies for the project in 2013, and also provided detailed engineering and design services for the pipeline.
Progress Energy Canada signed a gas supply agreement with TransCanada’s subsidiary NOVA Gas Transmission in August 2013 to take around two billion cubic feet of gas a day from the new pipeline.
