Enbridge Inc, Canada’s largest pipeline operator, plans to boost the size of two lines carrying crude from the oil sands while shaving $400 million CAD ($320.4 million USD) from their original price tag.
The company said two planned regional lines, the Athabasca Twin and Wood Buffalo extension projects, will now cost a combined $2.6 billion CAD, down from its prior $3 billion CAD estimate.
The pipe diameter of the Wood Buffalo Extension project, running 100 kms (62 miles) from its Cheecham terminal in the oil sands to its Kirby Lake terminal, will be boosted to 36 inches from a planned 30-inch diameter, while the Athabasca Twin which carries crude from Cheecham to the Hardisty, Alberta, storage center, will add pumping capacity to raise its throughput to 800,000 barrels per day from 450,000 bpd.
The lines are being expanded to handle oil shipped from Suncor Energy Inc’s planned Fort Hills oil sands project.