Pipelines in Canada, explained

Hundreds of thousands of kilometres of pipelines run under Canadian farmland, forests and cities, carrying the natural gas and oil that heat homes and fuel transport. About Pipelines explains how they work, how they are kept safe, and what you need to know if you live, farm or dig near one.

Learn about pipelines

• Pipeline 101What transmission pipelines are, what they carry, and how they are designed, built, run and retired.
• SafetyWho regulates pipelines, pipeline integrity, worker safety and what to do if you see a leak.
• Preventing incidentsDamage prevention, monitoring and inspection, and how leaks are detected underground.
• Emergency responseHow operators prepare for emergencies and what happens when one occurs.
• EnvironmentWater crossings, wildlife, vegetation, and the spill clean-up process.

Guides

• Click Before You Dig: how to request a utility locate in CanadaHow Click Before You Dig works in Canada: who to contact in each province, how much notice to give, what the 30-metre prescribed area means near pipelines.
• How deep are gas lines buried?How deep gas lines are buried, from service lines to transmission pipelines, why the actual depth can differ from the rules, and how to dig safely near them.
• Pipeline markers and locate colours: what the signs meanHow to read pipeline marker signs and the coloured paint and flags left by locators: what each colour means, what markers do not tell you and what to do next.
• What does natural gas smell like?Natural gas has no smell of its own. Learn what the odorant mercaptan smells like, other signs of a gas leak indoors and out, and what to do if you smell gas.
• Pipeline pigging explained: cleaning pigs, smart pigs and in-line inspectionWhat pipeline pigging is, how pigs travel through a line, the difference between cleaning pigs and smart pigs, and what in-line inspection tools can detect.
• Types of pipelines: gathering, feeder, transmission and distributionThe main types of oil and gas pipelines explained: flowlines, gathering, feeder, transmission and distribution lines, what each carries and who regulates them.

All guides

From the blog

• 9 facts you might not know about Canadian pipelines
• 12 things to know about Canada’s energy industry
• 5 basic steps to ‘dig safe’
• Anatomy of a pipeline incident: responding to emergencies (part 2)
• Anatomy of a pipeline incident: answering your questions (part 1)
• 1 billion reasons why you should click before you dig

All blog articles