About Pipelines

Updated June 2024

AER Inventory

Pipelines are a safe, efficient, and reliable way of moving energy products over long distances. Alberta's total length of pipelines is 446 092 kilometres and growing, averaging about a 1% increase per year over the past five years.

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As of 2023, the status of about 40% of AER-regulated pipelines was either discontinued or abandoned, an increase of about 23% over the past five years. Several factors may account for this increase:

• Companies are proactively replacing older lines with new pipelines to ensure pipeline integrity.
• Older reservoirs and oilfields are nearing the end of their lifespans.
• Pipelines are being discontinued or abandoned because of unfavourable production economics.
• The AER has implemented stronger liability management regulations that give companies credit for abandonment of unused infrastructure.
• Increased inspection focus on inactive pipelines and inactive pipeline programs.

Types of Pipelines

In 2023, Alberta's pipeline inventory transported various liquids and gases:

• 56% of the pipeline inventory carried natural gas,
• 16% oil-well effluent,
• 6% produced water,
• 5% sour natural gas (natural gas with hydrogen sulphide concentrations greater than 1%),
• 5% fuel gas,
• 4% crude oil,
• 8% other substances, such as fresh water and sales-grade petroleum products.

Pipelines are made from a variety of materials. About 85% of Alberta's pipelines are steel. The remaining 15% of pipelines are mostly polyethylene, fibreglass, or reinforced composite materials (i.e., nonmetallic materials) that are less susceptible to corrosion compared with steel.

Figure 2 shows a breakdown of the materials used for Alberta pipelines.