Alliance Pipeline LP, Calgary, is shifting its commercial in-service date from Oct. 30 to Nov. 13 to complete system commissioning activities on the pipeline system. The line stretches from northeastern British Columbia to the Chicago area, part of a system to carry Canadian gas to Northeast US markets.
Commissioning activities have been underway for some time, and the system is flowing 400-500 MMcfd of test gas. "As we have increased the flow of test gas volumes during our system commissioning, we have encountered moisture and debris from construction," said Norm Gish, chairman, president, and CEO of Alliance Pipeline.
Debris mostly consists of small pieces of foam from the pigs used to remove hydrostatic testing water from the line. The problem forced Alliance to shut down the system for short periods of time to clean it out. Additional in-line screens designed and installed at Alliance's compressor stations have improved the situation, but haven't allowed workers to run the system with the significant volumes necessary to adequately test the system's compressors, officials said.
They expect to flow increasing volumes of test gas, approaching the line's firm delivery capacity of 1.325 bcfd before Nov. 13. Investors in the Alliance Pipeline system include affiliates of Coastal Corp., 14.4%; Enbridge Inc., 21.4%; Fort Chicago Energy Partners LP, 26%; The Williams Cos. Inc.,14.6%; Westcoast Energy Inc., 23.6%.