Cold Lake Pipeline System

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Cold Lake Pipeline System is an operating oil pipeline system in Canada.

Location

The pipeline originates in Cold Lake, Alberta and terminates in Hardisty and Edmonton. More specifically, the Cold Lake Pipeline System mostly consists of two major section: the west leg running about 240 kilometers (145 miles) from Cold Lake to Edmonton and the south leg running about 415 kilometers (260 miles) from Cold Lake to Hardisty.

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Project details

• Operator:
• Owner: Cold Lake Pipeline LP
• Parent company: Brookfield Infrastructure Partners
• Capacity: 1.9 million barrels per day
• Diameter: 12 inches, 24 inches
• Length: 1,400 km
• Status: Operating
• Start year:
• Cost:
• Financing:
• Associated infrastructure:

The parent company of Cold Lake Pipeline LP is Inter Pipeline Ltd, which was acquired by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners in 2021.

Background

In December 2016, Canadian Natural Resources sold its 15% stake in the Cold Lake pipeline system to Inter Pipeline Ltd. for $527.5 million, making Inter Pipeline the sole owner of the pipeline system.

Spills

On 21 April 2017, a leak in the Cold Lake pipeline system resulted in crude oil spilling into a creek near 17th Street and Baseline Road east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Inter Pipeline Ltd. said that it had contained the leak. Approximately 141,000 liters of bitumen blend was released into the unnamed creek, which feeds into the North Saskatchewan River.

Inter Pipeline cleaning up an oil leak near its Strathcona Terminal. Photo courtesy of The Canadian Press, http://bit.ly/2fLvlVs.

Inter Pipeline cleaning up an oil leak at its Strathcona Terminal. Photo courtesy of The Canadian Press, http://bit.ly/2fLvlVs.