Market Snapshot: Oil pipeline throughputs reach record highs in 2022
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Release date: 2023-09-14
Canada’s four major oil export pipelines from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB)Definition* to the United States (Enbridge Mainline, Keystone, Trans Mountain, and ExpressFootnote 1Footnote 2) reached record high throughputs in 2022 and operated at almost full capacity. High throughputs were driven by increased oil production, which also hit a record high in 2022.Footnote 3 This trend is similar to 2021 and other recent years.Footnote 4
Figure 1: Monthly throughput and capacity on Enbridge Mainline at ex-Gretna
Source and Description
Source: CER, Pipeline Throughput and Capacity Data
Description: This combined area and line chart illustrates monthly throughput and capacity on the Enbridge Mainline at the ex-Gretna key point. Throughput increased steadily through 2022 and reached a record high of 3.2 MMb/d in December.
At times, throughput can exceed reported available capacity because of changes that occur between the time available capacity was reported, and when shipments occur (for example, changes to the proportion of product types being transported, unplanned outages, and downstream constraints).
Enbridge Mainline reached a record high throughput in 2022
At the Enbridge Mainline’s ex-GretnaFootnote 5 key pointDefinition* in Manitoba, throughput increased steadily through 2022 and reached a record high of 3.2 million barrels per day (MMb/d) in December. Previously, the record high was 3.1 MMb/d in December 2021. The average annual throughput in 2022 was 7% higher than 2021.
Following the approximately 11% increase in nameplate capacityDefinition* from the Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Project in Q4 2021,Footnote 6 available capacityDefinition* remained relatively stable throughout 2022. Available capacity ranged from a low of 3.2 MMb/d in August 2022 to a high of 3.3 MMb/d in June 2022. In 2022, the average monthly utilization rateFootnote 7 was 91%.
Figure 2: Monthly throughput and capacity on Keystone Pipeline
Source and Description
Source: CER, Pipeline Throughput and Capacity Data
Description: This combined area and line chart illustrates monthly throughput and capacity on the Keystone Pipeline. In 2022, a spill on the Keystone Pipeline in December caused throughput to drop to 338 Mb/d, a 44% decrease from the previous month.
At times, throughput can exceed reported available capacity because of changes that occur between the time available capacity was reported, and when shipments occur (for example, changes to the proportion of product types being transported, unplanned outages, and downstream constraints).
Keystone throughputs decreased in 2022
The Keystone Pipeline transported an average of 582 thousand barrels per day (Mb/d) in 2022, compared to 602 Mb/d in 2021, a decrease of 3.4%.
In December, a spill in Washington County, Kansas,Footnote 8 caused throughput to drop to 338 Mb/d, a decrease of 44% from the previous month. As a result, the pipeline was shut down on 7 December 2022. After a week, the section from Hardisty, Alberta, to Wood River and Patoka, Illinois, was restarted, with the remainder of the pipeline returning to service on 29 December 2022.Footnote 9 Due to the shutdown, the utilization rate in December dropped to 54%, compared to the 2022 average monthly utilization rate of 99%.
Figure 3: Monthly throughput and capacity on Trans Mountain Pipeline
Source and Description
Source: CER, Pipeline Throughput and Capacity Data
Description: This combined area and line chart illustrates monthly throughput and capacity on the Trans Mountain Pipeline. In 2022, Trans Mountain Pipeline continued to operate at full capacity, reaching a record high annual average of 322 Mb/d in 2022.
At times, throughput can exceed reported available capacity because of changes that occur between the time available capacity was reported, and when shipments occur (for example, changes to the proportion of product types being transported, unplanned outages, and downstream constraints).
Trans Mountain Pipeline throughputs reach a record high in 2022
The Trans Mountain Pipeline continued to flow at full capacity, transporting a record high annual average of 322 Mb/d in 2022, an increase of 9.1% over 2021 volumes. This increase was due to a record high of light oil throughput that reached 271 Mb/d, or approximately 84% of pipeline capacity.Footnote 10 The pipeline had normal throughput levels for most of 2022 after returning to normal operating pressure in mid-January 2022. The pipeline was shut down in November 2021 following extreme weather events and flooding in British Columbia and restarted on 5 December 2021 at reduced capacity.Footnote 11
In 2022, the average monthly utilization rate was 99%. July 2022 saw the highest throughput level of 365 Mb/d, a new record for the highest average throughput in any month. In November 2022, there was a decline in throughput levels, reaching a low of 283 Mb/d.
Every quarter, major companies are required to report monthly pipeline throughputDefinition* and available capacityDefinition* data to CER.Footnote 12 This data is available quarterly on Open Government, Pipeline Profiles, and A look at pipeline flow and capacity.
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