Enbridge has restored partial service to customers of its BC Pipeline following the Oct. 9 rupture of a natural gas transmission pipeline 13½ km north of Prince George, BC, but supply is still limited, and retail customers are being asked to continue to conserve throughout the winter, said British Colombia electric power and gas distribution and retail company FortisBC (OGJ Online, Oct. 11, 2018).
Repairs to BP Pipeline’s 36-in. line are complete and the line expected to be in operation at about 55% operating pressure, gradually ramping up to 80% through this month.
The Enbridge-owned and operated BC Pipeline comprises two parallel lines, one 36-in. and the other 30-in., that move gas into the US Pacific Northwest. Until both pipelines are back at full operating pressure, there is not enough gas to support the typical winter consumption of the FortisBC customer base, the company said.
“As such, FortisBC is asking all customers to continue to conserve natural gas whenever possible throughout the winter. We continue to work to ensure that all of our customers have the natural gas they need this winter by working with industrial customers to optimize their energy use, maximizing the output of the Southern Crossing pipeline from Alberta and securing natural gas supply from the open marketplace to access in times of higher demand,” the company said.
