Groundbirch Mainline Loop (Saturn Section) and Saddle Hills Compressor Station C4 Unit Addition Project

Overview

The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) is one of North America’s most prolific natural gas production basins and is of key importance to the Canadian economy. Given the pace of production of natural gas in Alberta and British Columbia, an important issue for WCSB producers is getting their product to market. Natural gas producers asked NGTL GP Ltd., as general partner on behalf of NGTL Limited Partnership (NGTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Limited (TCPL), an affiliate of TC Energy, to increase natural gas transportation service on the existing NGTL System. We have received regulatory approval to expand an existing compression facility, and have completed an additional pipeline section, which we own and operate, to meet these transportation needs. 

The Project connects to the approximately 25,000 km NGTL System, which transports natural gas, safely, efficiently and reliably every day.

Groundbirch Mainline Loop (Saturn Section)

The Groundbirch Mainline Loop (Saturn Section), now in service, is located in B.C., within the Peace River Regional District. The project included the installation of approximately 23 km of 42-inch diameter pipeline looping an existing NGTL pipeline from the existing Saturn No. 2 Receipt Meter Station, approximately 32 km southwest of Fort St. John, BC, to a future valve site and approximately 36 km west of Dawson Creek. The pipeline loop paralleled the existing NGTL Groundbirch Mainline (Saturn Section) and other existing rights-of-way, where possible, helping to minimize the impact of the land and effects on the environment.

Saddle Hills Compressor Station C4 Unit Addition

The Saddle Hills Compressor Station C4 Unit Addition is a 30MW compressor unit addition, located in Saddle Hills County, Alberta, adjacent to our existing Saddle Hills Compressor Station approximately 60 km East of Dawson Creek, BC.

As the Project progressed, new information became available and details have changed from the time the application was filed. NGTL regularly reviews system capacity requirements and contractual underpinning for proposed projects. After further evaluation of the service requirements to meet the changing demands for transportation of natural gas on the NGTL system, NGTL met with customers and determined a December 2023 in-service date for the Saturn section.

NGTL filed a Project Notification with the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) in accordance with the CER Early Engagement Guide and Interim Guidance in March 2020. Since the submission of the Project Notification, the compressor station unit addition name has changed, from ‘B4 Unit Addition’ to ‘C4 Unit Addition’, which was done for system naming efficiencies.

Project schedule

The proposed Project will be part of the NGTL System, which is governed according to regulations outlined by the Canada Energy Regulator (CER).