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Northern Gateway: Just the Facts (VIDEO)

Enbridge's $7-billion twin pipeline would run 1,177 kilometres from Alberta to a tanker port in Kitimat, B.C.
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The coast of British Columbia


Ottawa approved the proposed $7-billion Northern Gateway pipeline on Tuesday afternoon – with 209 imposed conditions – but questions remain, controversy lingers, and opposition is preparing for a fight.

A successful federal review was one of B.C.'s five conditions for the pipeline, meaning four more remain to be settled or seen.

"We recognize the benefits that the Northern Gateway project may bring, but they will not be at the expense of our environment," said the province's Environment Minister, Mary Polak, on Tuesday.

(Of the estimated $80 billion in tax and royalty revenues from the pipeline, B.C. is expected to rake in just over 8.3% of that. More below.)

Before the Conservative Canadian government's announcement on, the federal NDP demanded that Stephen Harper's party reject the plan, and opposition party leader Tom Mulcair called today's announcement "a sham".

But the Prime Minister has shown faith in the pipeline – which will run from Alberta, near Edmonton, through the B.C. coast and Kitimat – citing a need to break the country's dependance on American markets.

Here are some more facts and figures, compiled by The Canadian Press. The video above is also courtesy of CP.

Cost: Estimated to be $7 billion, but that figure has been increasing.

Route: Twin pipelines would run 1,177 kilometres from Bruderheim, just outside Edmonton, to a tanker port in Kitimat, on the northern coast of B.C.

Oil: A westbound pipeline would carry up to 525,000 barrels a day of synbit, a blend of refined synthetic oil and bitumen, two types of dilbit and synthetic oil to Kitimat for export.

Terminal: The Kitimat Marine Terminal would include two ship berths and 19 tanks to store oil and condensate. It would have the capacity to serve about 220 tankers per year.

Value: The pipeline is estimated to be worth $300 billion in additional gross domestic product over 30 years.

Governments are expected to net an estimated $80 billion in tax and royalty revenues over those three decades: $36 billion for Ottawa, $32 billion for Alberta and $6.7 billion for B.C. Saskatchewan would net an estimated $4 billion.

Jobs: The company says it would result in 3,000 new construction jobs in B.C. and 560 long-term jobs.