Where piggy back lines or umbilicals are to be located on the pipelines for

installation as a bundle, then the piggy back lines/umbilicals shall be located

at the top center of the mainline. Piggy back lines shall be strapped to the
mainline by means of monel straps every 4 m all throughout the length of
the line. Suitable spacers/guide supports shall be provided at every 2 m.
Between the strap and the line as well as between the spacer and the line, a
strip of 6 mm thick neoprene shall be provided to avoid any damage to the
corrosion coating. Care shall be exercised to ensure the piggy back
line/umbilical does not foul with the pipeline anodes.
7.8.14 Stub End Pipelines
Incase the Contractor is required to tie-in to any existing stub-line,
Contractor shall deploy divers and shall check the condition of the lay down
heads and disconnect any shackles, slings, etc. Depending on the condition
of the pipeline from pre-construction survey, a survey may be carried out by
a ROV for 500 m length of the stub-ends, measured from the lay-down
heads to identify any obstruction, which may hamper the recovery
operations.

Further revisions were made to the standard in 1975. Additional sizes and
thicknesses
of steel pipe that had been added to API specifications were added to Table 2.
Table 3,
Dimensions and Weights of Welded Wrought Iron Pipe, was deleted in its entirety,
since
wrought iron pipe is no longer produced. These changes in the standard were
approved
and it was designated an American National Standard on June 5 , 1975.
The standard was revised in 1978 to include SI metric dimensions. The outside
diameter
and wall thicknesses were converted to millimeters by multiplying the inch
dimensions by
25.4. Outside diameters larger than 16 in. were rounded to the nearest millimeter,
and
outside diameters 16 in. and smaller were rounded to the nearest 0.1 mm. Wall
thicknesses
were rounded to the nearest 0.01 mm. These converted and rounded SI metric
dimensions
were added to Table 2. A formula to calculate the SI metric plain end mass, in
kilograms
per meter, using SI metric diameters and thicknesses was added to section 5. The SI
metric
plain end mass was calculated and was added to Table 2. These changes in the
standard
were approved and it was designated an American National Standard on July 18, 1979.
Further revisions were made in 1984. The ANSI designations, which are no longer in
use, were deleted from Table 1, and the list of specifications was revised to agree
with
current ASTM and API specifications. Additional sizes and thicknesses which had
been
added to API specifications were added to Table 2. That edition was approved as an
American National Standard on August 19, 1985.
The next edition included additional wall thicknesses and was approved by the
American
National Standards Institute on August 24, 1995.
The 1996 edition contained revisions to Table 2, adding pipe sizes, changing some
plain
end weights and masses, identifying metric pipe by the dimensionless designator DN,
and
eliminating the API Specification column. The 1996 edition was approved as an
American
National Standard on September 23, 1996.
The current edition contains revisions to Table 2 to include the revised density
for steel
incorporated into Section 5 previously. Table 1 was deleted and other editorial
changes to
Sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 9 were made. This edition was approved as an American
National
Standard on December I , 2000.
7. MANUFACTURING
7.1. Mother Pipe
Mother pipe shall be manufactured as within the requirements as stated in the DEP
31.40.20.37 Ref. [8] and line pipe specifications report. The carbon steel shall be
ISO 3183 Ref [22] PSL 2.
Company shall be notified if there is intent to upgrade or modify the strength of
either the mother pipe or induction bend after the bending process.
7.2. Qualification Test Bend
The test bends shall be manufactured with approved MPS as stated in the DEP
31.40.20.33 Gen. Ref. [6]
7.3. Production Bending
Induction bending shall be carried out in accordance with the qualified MPS.
Interruption of the induction bending operation shall result in rejection of the
bend.
7.4. Post-Bending Heat Treatment
Except acceptable properties can be demonstrated after bending for any L450 X65
line, the
Contractor shall provide a quench and temper heat treatment of the entire joint.
The temperature of each furnace-load of bends shall be monitored by thermocouples
connected directly to selected bends and shall be recorded. The type and location
of the thermocouples shall be as specified in the MPS.
7.5. Strip/Plate End Welds
Induction bends shall not contain coil-strip end welds or plate end welds.
7.6. Forming and Sizing after Bending
This shall be done according to ISO 15590-1 Ref [20] as amended by DEP 31.40.20.33-
Gen. Ref. [6]
7.7. Jointers and Girth Welds
Induction bends ordinarily should not contain girth welds. The DEP 31.40.20.33-Gen
Ref. [6] permits jointers during manufacture of bends on the condition that on
completion of the bend, the joiner shall be removed such that no effect from the
joiner shall remain including the heat affected zone.
7.8. End Preparation
Bends shall be square except otherwise specified by company. The cutting method
shall not affect the properties of the bend when compared to the mother pipe.
 

Abrasive Blast Cleaning shall be in accordance with DEP 31.40.30.37-Gen, Section

9.2.1 through 9.2.6.
4.3. Blast Profile
The sleeves shall be provided in sheet form which can be wrapped around the pipe
and closed to form
a tube which shall upon the application of heat, shrink around the joint.
The type of field joint coating selected for this project is Polyethylene Heat
Shrinkable Sleeves and the
Polyethylene Heat Shrinkable Sleeves shall be applied over a suitable epoxy primer
coating in
accordance to section 8.1.4.2 of DEP 31.40.30.37.
The external surfaces of joints and bends shall be coated as follows:
 The pipeline field joints shall be coated with Polyethylene Shrink Sleeves.
 The bends, elbows and other irregular configurations on pipelines shall be coated
with heat
Shrinkable Cross-linked Polyolefin Tape.
The minimum acceptable standard of surface preparation shall be to the following
equivalent
internationally recognized standards.
 ISO 8501-1
 Sa 2½ Near white SSPC-SP10
On completion, the entire surface shall show the blast cleaning pattern and at
least 95% of the surface
shall be clean, bare steel. The surface may show some shadows, streaks or
discoloration, but these
should be slight and distributed over the surface, and not concentrated in spots or
areas.
3.2. Information to be Supplied by the Contractor
For this project qualification, the CONTRACTOR shall supply technical information
to the
SUPPLIER regarding the project, in particular the installation and operating
conditions. This
information shall contain as a minimum in accordance to DEP 31.40.30.37-Gen Section
6.1
There are situations in which are economically advantageous to transport both
liquid and gas in a single pipeline simultaneosly .This is called Two phase flow
pipeline.

An example of two phase flow pipeline involves certain offshore oil

operation,where it is extremly expensive to separate the liquid and gas phases in
deep water.

The blast cleaned profile shall be sharp and angular. Angular profile value shall
be determined by heat
shrink sleeve manufacturer in accordance with ISO 8503-5 requirements and
acceptance criteria.
4.4. Surface Cleaning
After blast cleaning to the specified quality, surfaces shall be brushed, vacuumed
or blown clean with
dry, oil-free compressed air to remove all dust and blast cleaning abrasive from
the surface and in
particular from pockets and corners. The pipe surface shall be cleaned of mill
scale, rust and other
foreign matter to achieve a minimum surface cleanliness of Sa 2½ in accordance with
the DEP
31.40.30.37-Gen, Section 9.2.6.
4.5. Mechanical Cleaning
Where, with the agreement of COMPANY, it is recognized that abrasive blast cleaning
cannot be
carried out; the area to be coated shall be cleaned by power wire brushing in
accordance Swedish
Standard SIS 055900 Standard ST3.
The prepared joint area shall be freed of all slag, weld spatter, mill scale, dirt
or other foreign matter, as
in abrasive blast cleaning.

such as adjacent utilities or structures. The survey should be performed in an area

sufficient in size to show equipment set-up and storage locations.
Information to be gathered during the survey should include, but not be limited to,
the following:
• Existing grade elevation data referenced to a public datum if practical;
• Surface features such as roadways, sidewalks, utility poles, overhead power
lines, fire hy-drants,
• Ledge or rock outcrops;
• Boring/test pit locations;
• Waterways;
• Potentially delineated wetlands;
• Culverts;
• Visible subsurface utility landmarks such as manholes or valve boxes; and
• Structures such as buildings, towers, or bridges adjacent to the proposed
drilled path.
Waterway crossings also require a hydrographic survey. The hydrographic survey
should include tidal ranges and edges of waterways. It should be conducted along
the proposed drill path and in-clude data as appropriate upstream and downstream of
the path.
Construction control points shall be established sufficiently far away from the
work so as not to be affected by ground movement caused by the construction
operations. Such control points shall be checked regularly against permanent bench
marks to ensure the accuracy of the HDD construc-tion is not compromised by ground
movement.
6.8.2 SUBSURFACE INVESTIGATION
Once the surface survey data have been obtained, evaluation of subsurface features
can be initi-ated. Subsurface feature concerns that may affect HDD design and
therefore should be investi-gated include the presence of existing utilities,
adjacent structure foundations or other manmade
Obstructions, and geotechnical and hazardous materials conditions along the
proposed HDD alignment.
6.8.3 Geotechnical Investigation
The contractor will carry out geotechnical investigation of the HDD route.
A second phase of subsurface investigation for HDD projects is the determination of
soil conditions. Once the proposed routing has been identified, a geotechnical
investigation should be performed. The geotechnical investigation should be
tailored to suit the complexity of the installation being de-signed. A general
geologic review involves examining existing geological data to determine what
conditions might be encountered in the vicinity of the installation. Existing data
may be available from construction project records in the area of the HDD
(buildings, piers, bridges,).
A typical geotechnical survey consists of taking exploratory borings to collect
soil samples for clas-sification and laboratory analysis.
The number, location, and depth of exploratory borings should be determined taking
into account site-specific conditions such as the general geology of the area,
availability of access, availability of existing data, cost, etc. Borings should be
located off of the drilled path centerline to reduce the

Pigging and gauging activities shall be submitted as part the Contractors pressure
testing procedure.
7.6.17.2 At the completion of the carrier pipe pull, the carrier pipes are to be
pigged and flushed clean. A number of cleaning passes may be required until clean
water remains in the carrier pipes. Pig selection shall be relevant to the pipeline
material and confirmed with a pig supplier and/or manufacturer. Cleaning acceptance
criteria shall be ≤10mm dust penetration with a low density foam pig for a maximum
length of 2km. For sections exceeding 2km an agreed value between Unitywater and
the Contractor is to be established.
7.6.17.3 Cleaning pigs shall be numbered, logged, condition noted and comments
surrounding debris removed. Any pigging near residents or the general public shall
be controlled to ensure material exiting the pipeline is controlled and does not
impact the surrounding area. Silencers shall be used when appropriate.
7.6.17.4 When pigging with compressed air, gauges shall be used at both ends with
constant communication between launching and receiving ends. No tools shall be used
on the pipeline until both ends of the pipeline have confirmed the gauges read
0kPa.
7.6.17.5 The gauging pig is to be sized to the internal diameter of each carrier
pipe according to the project specific specification. The Contractor is to complete
this work and use a fit for purpose cleaning pig and gauging pig. The gauge plate
shall be a minimum 3mm thick, 95% of the internal diameter, segmented and shall be
free of defects once received. Location of the gauge plate on the gauging pig is to
be at the Contractors discretion. Gauge plate material shall not be able to damage
the parent material of the pipeline.
7.6.18 Alignment Tolerances
7.6.18.1 The HDD bore path must follow the approved designed alignment and conform
to the allowable tolerances depicted in Table 12 below unless otherwise detailed in
the Project Specific Specification.
7.6.18.2 The alignment shall be constructed on the project specific centre lines
and agreed to by the Superintendent’s Representative and Principal.
Table 12

i. The Contractor shall be responsible for the design and construction of all
aspects of the HDD works including any temporary works and temporary supporting
structures. All de-sign assumptions regarding subsurface conditions, equipment
requirements, groundwater and other factors are the responsibility of the
Contractor and shall be fully documented.
ii. Based on the alignment shown in the Principal Drawings, the Contractor shall
design and size the excavated profile to accommodate all temporary and permanent
works.
iii. A design vertical and horizontal profile shall be submitted to the
Superintendent’s
Representative for review prior to commencement of work.
iv. The Contractor shall not proceed with any work until the Contractor’s RPE
certified design has been accepted by the Superintendent’s Representative.
Acceptance of the Contrac-tor’s design by the Superintendent’s Representative in no
way diminishes the responsibility of the Contractor for the design.
v. The HDD crossing shall be designed in accordance with this Specification and
the refer-enced documents by a person suitably qualified and having experience with
the design considerations required for this type of work. The profile design shall
take into account the following:
• Temporary works associated with the HDD construction;

The Contractor shall notify the Company of any conflict between this specification,
the Codes and Standards and any other specification included as part of the Project
documen-tation.
This specification and the guidelines set forth do not relieve the Contractor, its
Sub- Con-tractors and Vendors of the responsibility to provide a finished product
capable of perform-ing its intended service.
Any exception to this specification and referenced documentation shall be raised by
the Contractor and approved by the Company in writing, following the applicable
procedure for concession requests as defined in the Quality Management Procedures
of the Project.
During further stages of the project (detailed design) Contractor is obliged to
verify calcula-tions, the design and dimensions of all equipment using its own
calculations based on pro-cess, design, safety and warranty data given in the
tender documentation. The detailed de-sign must be agreed upon with the Company.

HDD crossings are often undertaken to minimize the adverse environmental

effects at watercourse crossings. Nevertheless, an HDD does not guarantee that all
adverse environmental effects will be prevented. Common adverse effects are the
result of:
• inadvertent returns of drilling fluids into the aquatic, terrestrial or
social/cultural environments; and, to a lesser extent,
• disturbance of soils, vegetation, wildlife and social/cultural elements arising
from either construction of drill sites, exit areas, access roads and temporary
vehicle crossings, or the HDD activity.
Further details on the environmental effects of inadvertent releases can be found
in many documents, including:
• Horizontal Directional Drilling Best Management Practices Manual, Topical
Report. Gas Research Institute. May, 2002; and
• Quantifying the Effects of Sediment Release on Fish and Fish Habitats,
Anderson, P.G., B.R. Taylor and G. Balch. 1995. Prepared for the Department
of Fisheries and Oceans.
7.1 Aquatic

Tension
Tension on the pull section results from three primary sources: (1) frictional
drag between the pipe and the wall of the hole, (2) fl uidic drag from
viscous drilling fl uid surrounding the pipe, and (3) the effective (submerged)
weight of the pipe as it is pulled through the hole. In addition
to these forces that act within the drilled hole, frictional drag from the
portion of the pull section remaining on the surface (typically supported
on rollers) also contributes to the tensile load on the pipe.
Additional loads that the horizontal drilling rig must overcome during
pull back result from the length of the drill string in the hole and the
reaming assembly that precedes the pull section. These loads don ’ t act on
the pull section and therefore have no effect on pipe stresses. Nonetheless,
if a direct correlation with the overall rig force is desired, loads resulting
from the reaming assembly and drill string must be estimated and added
to the tensile force acting on the pull section.
Calculation of the tensile load required to install a pipeline by HDD
is complicated due to the fact that the geometry of the drilled path must
be considered along with properties of the pipe being installed, subsurface
materials, and drilling fl uid. Assumptions and simplifi cations
are typically required. A theoretical pulling load may be calculated by
hand or with the aid of one of several commercially available software
packages.
Regardless of the method used to calculate an HDD pulling load, the
design engineer should be aware that numerous variables affect pulling
loads, many of which depend upon site-specifi c conditions and individual
contractor practices. These include prereaming diameter, hole stability,
removal of cuttings, soil and rock properties, drilling fl uid properties,
drilled path geometry, and the effectiveness of buoyancy control measures.
Such variables cannot easily be accounted for in a theoretical
calculation method designed for use over a broad range of applications.
For this reason, theoretical calculations are of limited benefi t unless
combined with engineering judgment derived from experience in HDD
construction.
The fi rst step in calculating a pulling load is to analyze the drilled path.
This analysis can be based on the designed drilled path, a “worst-case”
drilled path, or “as-built” pilot-hole data, if available. Bearing in mind
that most pilot holes are drilled longer, deeper, and to tighter radii than
designed, a conservative approach in the absence of as-built pilot-hole
data is to evaluate a worst-case drilled path that accounts for potential
deviations from the design. This worst-case path should be determined
based on allowable tolerances for pilot-hole length, elevation, and curve
radius as defi ned in the contract documents. The design engineer should
be aware that deviations in these parameters are typical and are often due

For steel piping operating above –20F, alloy steel studs ASTM
A193 Grade B7, with ASTM A194 Class 2H semi-finished heavy
hex nuts shall be used except for sulphide stress cracking service
where stud bolts shall be ASTM A193 Grade B7M. For steel piping
operating below –20F, ie: blowdown service, ASTM A320, Gr L7
studs, with ASTM A194, Gr 7 semi-finished hex nuts shall be used,
except for sulfide stress cracking services where stud bolts shall be
ASTM A320, Gr L7M.

At least one (1) reading per drill rod is required during the drilling of the pilot
hole, registering inclination, heading, length, depth and the orientation of the
bent sub. This information shall be recorded on the steering log and be available
for inspection of the superintendent as and when required.
7.7.2.3 The Contractor shall ensure proper calibration of all equipment before
commencing directional drilling operation and provide proof of calibration
documentation to the Superintendent’s Representative
(2) Bolting threads and lengths shall conform to the dimensions listed
in the appropriate national or industry flange standard. Headed
bolts (rather than stud bolts) shall not be used without prior PTT
approval.
(3) All bolts and nuts shall be coated with PTFE, or equivalent
material.For steel piping operating above –20F, alloy steel studs ASTM
A193 Grade B7, with ASTM A194 Class 2H semi-finished heavy
hex nuts shall be used except for sulphide stress cracking service
where stud bolts shall be ASTM A193 Grade B7M. For steel piping
operating below –20F, ie: blowdown service, ASTM A320, Gr L7
studs, with ASTM A194, Gr 7 semi-finished hex nuts shall be used,
except for sulfide stress cracking services where stud bolts shall be
ASTM A320, Gr L7M.
(2) Bolting threads and lengths shall conform to the dimensions listed
in the appropriate national or industry flange standard. Headed
bolts (rather than stud bolts) shall not be used without prior PTT
approval.
(3) All bolts and nuts shall be coated with PTFE, or equivalent
material.
(4) For Austenitic bolting materials shall be in accordance with piping
material classification data sheets.
1.4.6 Proprietary Connectors
Proprietary connectors shall be used as required by project Specifications.
1.5 Design Considerations for Particular Piping Systems
1.5.1 General
This
(4) For Austenitic bolting materials shall be in accordance with piping
material classification data sheets.
1.4.6 Proprietary Connectors
Proprietary connectors shall be used as required by project Specifications.
1.5 Design Considerations for Particular Piping Systems
1.5.1 General
This

The finish required by B16.5 for steel raised-face flanges is also to

be used for non-steel metallic flanges, for steel male and female
flanges, that is 125 to 250 micro inches. For steel tongue and
grove flanges gasket face finish shall be 32-63 micro inches.
(5) For NPS 26” and larger, ASME B16.47 SERIES A flanges shall be
used. Use SERIES B flanges only when needed to mate with
equipment flanges. When attached to pipe with a yield strength
greater than 248.4 MPa (36000 psi), the hub thickness requires
prior PTT approval.
(6) Except for galvanized piping threaded flanges shall not be used
without prior PTT approval and then only in steel NPS 2 and
smaller.
(7) The bore of weld neck flanges to be used in severe cyclic
conditions, ie: reciprocating pumps and compressors, or in services
with high corrosion rates shall have the same ID as the attached
piping. If the ID is not the same, the flange shall be taper bored
conditions may bear on the abandonment decision-making process.
The development and implementation of an abandonment plan consists of at least the
following seven steps:
(1) review prevailing regulatory requirements applicable to the abandonment
project; (2) compile all relevant information on the pipeline system, including
easement agreements; (3) analyze by segment taking into account the factors
addressed in Section 3 of this paper, including present and future land use; (4)
develop the abandonment plan in consultation with stakeholders (such as landowners,
government authorities, and other directly affected parties), incorporating the
information compiled in the above steps; (5) secure regulatory and landowner
approvals as required for the pipeline abandonment and site reclamation; (6)
implement the abandonment plan, the scope of which should include post-abandonment
responsibilities (addressed in Section 4); and (7) secure final regulatory release.

A proponent undertaking an abandonment plan should follow these six steps,

recognizing that site-specific conditions may require additional steps in the
development of the plan.
Please refer to the next page for a flowchart of the abandonment planning process
and to Appendix B for a detailed abandonment checklist.
Page
the removal of equipment or buildings or other structures or appurtenances; # the
conducting of investigations to determine the presence of substances; # the
decontamination of buildings or other structures or other appurtenances, or land or
water; # the stabilization, contouring, maintenance conditioning, or
reconstruction of the land surface; or # any other procedure, operation, or
requirement specified in the regulations
(as defined in the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act)
Removal The pipeline is completely removed from the rightof-way.
Roach Excess soil placed over the ditch line to compensate for soil settlement.
Road or Railway Crossing
The crossing by a pipeline of a highway, road, street, or railway.
Sight Block
A mechanism to restrict the visual impact of a pipeline right-of-way.
Soil The naturally occurring, unconsolidated mineral or organic material at least
10 centimetres thick that occurs at the earth's surface and is capable of
supporting plants. It includes disturbance of the surface by human activities such
as cultivation and logging but not displaced materials such as mine spoils.
Spoil Soil materials other than topsoil excavated from the trench. In most cases,
the excavated soil is suitable for return to the pipeline trench, and allows for
recontouring of the right-of-way.
Subsoil Although a common term it cannot be defined accurately. It may be the B
horizon of a soil with a distinct profile. It can also be defined as the zone below
the plowed soil in which roots normally grow.
Surface Water
Water in a watercourse and water at a depth of not more than 15 metres beneath the
surface of the ground.
Suspension The cessation of normal operation of a pipeline pursuant to its licensed
use. The pipeline need not be rendered permanently incapable of its licensed use,
but must be left in a safe and stable state during this period of suspension, as
prescribed by the applicable regulations and guidelines. See also "deactivation".

The SDV valve will be provided at the station inlet and outlet. In case of an
emergency event the SDV valves will cut off the gas supply from the suppliers and
to the pipelines.
The compressor station will be designed for locally manned, fully automatic,
permanent operation from Station Control Room with remote monitoring of the station
from the Central Control Room.
9.2 Pig Receiver
Pig Receivers will be provided at all pipelines entering the compressor station.
The pig receiver is described in section 10.8.
9.3 Filter Separator Skid
The filter separators, as described in section 10.1, shall be provided at Obigbo
Compressor Station at each gas supply source.
The filter separator design and operating conditions are: Parameter Value QIT
Source Obigbo Node Source Cawthorne and Alakiri Source Okono/Okpoho
Design Pressure
98.0 barg
98.0 barg
98.0 barg
98.0 barg
Design Temperature
within the hole and to improve the condition and stability of the borehole and the
borehole walls.
7.6.11.2 Conditioning reaming tools are to be in good working order and appropriate
to the ground conditions indicated.
7.6.12 Pipe Pullback
7.6.12.1 At the completion of the hole opening and the hole conditioning, the
Contractor will commence the casing/carrier pipe pullback. The pipe pullback is a
critical operation and the following must be controlled by the Contractor:
involve a combination of pipe removal and abandonment-in-place along the length of
the pipeline. A key factor influencing the choice between the two options is
present and future land use.
It is further noted that the abandonment techniques presented are confined to those
possible using currently available technology. While developments in pipeline
removal and abandonment technologies were evaluated, no major improvements to the
methods currently in use were discovered. However, as pipeline abandonments become
more prevalent, improved abandonment methods will likely be developed.
1.5 Objective
The objective of this discussion paper is to assist the user in the development of
a pipeline abandonment plan, a framework for which is provided in Section 2 of this
paper. More particularly, the paper is meant to assist parties in making an
informed decision between abandoning in place or through removal. Section 3
outlines the general technical and environmental issues that should be considered
when abandoning a pipeline, while Section 4 elaborates on post-abandonment
responsibilities. Site-specific issues should be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

The objective of creating an abandonment plan is to ensure that identified issues

have been addressed and that the pipeline is abandoned in a way that provides a
forum for meaningful stakeholder input and ensures that public safety and
environmental stability are maintained.
1.6 Regulatory Requirements
The NEB is responsible for regulating interprovincial and international pipeline
systems in Canada, while the individual provinces are responsible for regulating
intraprovincial pipeline systems. Within each province, gathering, transmission,
and distribution pipelines may be regulated by different agencies. For example, in
Alberta the EUB regulates gathering and transmission lines as well as higher-
pressure distribution lines (greater than 700 kPa), while lower-pressure
distribution lines are regulated by Alberta Transportation and Utilities. AEP,
through the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA), regulates
conservation and reclamation activities for all three categories of pipelines.
In addition to the primary regulators, there may be other governmental agencies
within each of the respective jurisdictions that may have an interest in the
abandonment and reclamation of a pipeline. These other agencies may include local
governments, especially in populated areas where pipeline abandonment may impact
upon land uses.
In Alberta, the EUB sets the requirements for the abandonment of gathering and
transmission lines. In addition to meeting the EUB's abandonment requirements, the
pipeline right-of-way must be reclaimed to AEP standards. Reclamation certificates
are issued by inspectors designated under EPEA. For removal projects that are
classified as Class I projects,1 the operator is required to obtain an approval
under EPEA from AEP to ensure that proper conservation and reclamation occurs. For
smaller projects, AEP's Environmental Protection Guidelines for Pipelines are to be
followed during construction.
____________________ 1 A Class I pipeline is defined by the Activities Designation
Regulation (AR 110/93)
Section 2
Developing an Abandonment Plan
This paper addresses the common issues that pipeline abandonment plans should
address regardless of regulatory jurisdiction. It is intended to assist a company
in the development of an abandonment plan through the recognition of the general
issues which result from the abandonment of a pipeline and by providing the means
to address those issues.
In practice, the decision to abandon in place or through removal should be made on
the basis of a comprehensive site-specific assessment. In this context, the
analysis presented in this paper has limitations in that all site specifics could
not possibly be addressed, particularly in relation to potential environmental
impacts or impacts on present and future land use.
The development and implementation of a pipeline abandonment plan that will
minimize impacts to the environment and land use and be cost-effective requires
many activities similar in scope to the planning or installation of a new pipeline.
For any large-scale abandonment project, it is unlikely that any one abandonment
technique will be employed. Once the principal technique has been chosen,
therefore, the owner/operator should assess on a site-specific basis whether an
alternate approach should be followed for selected segments of line.
The abandonment project schedule should provide an opportunity for meaningful input
into the planning process by the affected public, as defined by the scope of the
project. It is especially important that landowners and land managers have a
central role in this process.
The development of an abandonment plan should be initiated by reviewing the general
requirements of the regulatory jurisdiction(s) under which the pipeline is
operated. Beyond the requirements of the principal regulatory agencies, other
legislation may affect the particular abandonment project. For example, municipal
requirements and federal legislation such as the federal Navigable Waters
Protection Act or the Fisheries Act may affect the abandonment options.
It is also critical that easement agreements be reviewed, as their terms and

complemented with a field investigation program. Scale modelling could also be

performed to confirm the theoretical ground subsidence calculations.
As illustrated by the diagram on the following page, the pipeline abandonment
planning process is a multi-dimensional exercise that requires wide stakeholder
input. The abandonment project schedule should also provide an opportunity for
meaningful input into the planning process by the affected public, as defined by
the scope of the project. It is especially important that landowners and land
managers have a central role in this process.
In practice, the decision to abandon in place or through removal should be made on
the basis of a comprehensive site-specific assessment. In this context, the
analysis presented in this paper has limitations in that all site specifics could
not possibly be addressed, particularly in relation to potential environmental
impacts or impacts on land use.
The development and implementation of a pipeline abandonment plan that will both
minimize impacts to the environment and land use and be costeffective requires many
activities similar in scope to the planning or installation of a new pipeline. For
any large-scale abandonment project, it is unlikely that any one abandonment
technique will be employed. Rather, a project will usually involve a combination of
pipe removal and abandonment-in-place along the length of the pipeline. A key
factor influencing the choice between the two options is present and future land
use.
Committee Representative Lists
Steering Committee
Technical Subcommittee
Environmental Subcommittee
Bob Hill (Chair) Jim Dilay Ken Sharp Ian Scott (Secretary) John McCarthy Fred Webb
Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Alberta
Energy and Utilities Board Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers National
Energy Board Pembina Corporation
Ron McKay (Chair) Tom Pesta Ian Scott Arnold Bell Marsh Yerichuk Robert Power
Christine van Egmond Frank Hagedorn Glen Fyfe Rudy Wartlik
Novagas Clearinghouse Ltd. Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Canadian Association
of Petroleum Producers Federated Pipe Lines Ltd. Interprovincial Pipe Line Inc.
National Energy Board National Energy Board NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Pembina
Corporation Westcoast Energy Inc.
Karen Etherington (Chair) Keith Lyseng Wayne Tedder Ivan Weleschuk
NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Alberta
Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Alberta Energy and Utilities Boa
In summary, the key features of a proper abandonment plan are
(i) that it be tailored to the specifics of the project,
(ii) that an early and open opportunity be provided for public and landowner input,
and
(iii) that it comply with current regulatory requirements. It is also necessary
that the plan be broad in scope and encompass postabandonment responsibilities in
the form of right-of-way monitoring and remediation of problems associated with the
abandonment.
A major issue still to be addressed is the question of who would assume
responsibility if the owner/operator becomes insolvent. In this regard, industry
has established a fund in Alberta to cover the cost of reclamation and abandonment
of orphaned oil and gas wells and certain associated pipeline facilities.