Line 3 start delayed to second-half 2020

March 5, 2019
Start-up of Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Project, which will ease a transport bottleneck in the Alberta oil sands, will occur in the second half of 2020 instead of by the end of this year, the company says. The Minnesota government has provided Enbridge a permitting timeline indicating all remaining state permits required for Line 3 construction will be provided by November. The company earlier thought it would receive final state permits in the second quarter of this year.

Start-up of Enbridge Inc.’s Line 3 Replacement Project, which will ease a transport bottleneck in the Alberta oil sands, will occur in the second half of 2020 instead of by the end of this year, the company says.

The Minnesota government has provided Enbridge a permitting timeline indicating all remaining state permits required for Line 3 construction will be provided by November. The company earlier thought it would receive final state permits in the second quarter of this year.

Enbridge said it expects completion of federal permits 30-60 days after state permits are in hand.

Line 3 carries 390,000 b/d of light crude oil—about half its original capacity—1,097 miles from Edmonton, Alta., to Superior, Wisc.

Replacement projects in Canada and the US will increase capacity to 760,000 b/d of light and heavy crude (OGJ Online, Apr. 25, 2018).