Pipeline

A new pipeline will be constructed to deliver fuel from the new tanks at the receiving facility to the existing fuel facilities at YVR. It is expected to be about 15 kilometres long, 300 millimetres (about 12 inches) in diameter, and buried for most of its length at least 2.5 metres (8 feet) underground.

The pipeline will consist of conventional steel pipe manufactured in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard A53 (Grade B) and will be installed to the standards established by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standard Z662-03 for Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems.

All pipeline infrastructure will employ a modern corrosion protection system and computerized leak detection technology. Its walls will be sufficiently thick and strong to guard against seismic events and other potential damage.

Where significant road and waterway crossings are unavoidable (e.g. Highway 99 and Moray Channel) the pipeline will be directionally drilled to mitigate potential environmental impacts and avoid disruption of vehicle and vessel traffic.

Potential pipeline routes are being investigated along existing transportation and utility corridors through Richmond. The public, First Nations, stakeholders and regulatory bodies are invited to provide their input on these options.

While the specific pipeline route has not been chosen, the basic construction process involves digging a 2.5-metre-deep trench, laying the pipe on the bottom, and then re-filling the trench with structural fill and re-instating the original surface structures, such as grass and asphalt.  Prior to commissioning, the pipeline is thoroughly tested and cleaned in accordance with construction and operational requirements.