TransCanada recognises 4844 workers on Gulf Coast Pipeline

TransCanada Corporation is recognising the thousands of men and women who have helped build the gulf Coast pipeline project, an oil pipeline designed to deliver American and Canadian crude oil to Texas refineries. The workers who helped build this project are in addition to the thousands who constructed the initial Keystone Pipeline system, and TransCanada remains hopeful that they will have the opportunity to employ thousands more on the final leg of the Keystone system – Keystone XL.

Worker’s dedication

"Over the past 15 months, 4844 workers in America have given their best efforts to building a critical, modern piece of American energy infrastructure from Cushing, Oklahoma to Nederland, Texas, and we want to thank each and every one of them for their efforts," said Russ Girling, TransCanada's president and chief executive officer. "Their dedication to working safely, building high-quality energy infrastructure and taking pride in their work has helped bring this project closer to reality."

The original Keystone Pipeline, which has been in operation since 2010 and safely delivered almost 490 million barrels of oil, required 8969 people to build the pipeline and its related facilities. Manufacturing of the pipe, pump stations, specialised equipment and advanced technology for the Gulf Coast and Keystone XL Pipeline projects also support about 7000 positions.

"What now seems to get lost in the debate about building new oil pipelines is that there are real, hard-working people behind projects like this," added Girling. "The work they do is critical to our way of life and allows them to provide for their families and contribute to their communities."

Construction of the Gulf Coast Pipeline project required:

• US$ 2.3 billion in private-sector investment.
• Six modern pump stations.
• More than 11 million hours of labor completed by 4844 workers in the US - heavy equipment operators, welders, laborers, transportation operators and supervisory personnel (including environment, safety and quality control inspectors).
• More than 50 contracts with US manufacturers and companies building the pipeline and equipment in locations that include: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.
• The manufacturing of more than 485 m of high-strength, advanced oil pipeline (36 in. dia.); hundreds of large valves; thousands of fittings; thousands of pieces of equipment used to build transformers, meters, electric motors, cabling and electrical equipment; and piping, assembling and structural steel for supports.
• About 2.25 million barrels of new oil storage capacity at Cushing, Oklahoma.

As pipeline construction activities near completion, commissioning activities will be ramping up as the company focuses on preparing the Gulf Coast Pipeline for commercial service in late 2013. Work on associated tanks and storage facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma, is also expected to be completed by late 2013. Upon start-up, TransCanada will safely increase the flow rates of product moving through the Gulf Coast Pipeline, which is normal practice when starting up energy infrastructure like this.

The Gulf Coast Pipeline will have the initial capacity to transport up to 700 000 bpd of oil with the potential to transport up to 830 000 bpd to Gulf Coast refineries.

Edited from various sources by Hannah Priestley-Eaton

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/16102013/transcanada_recognises_4844_workers_on-gulf-coast-pipeline/