Important Pipeline Safety Information for Excavators, Contractors  and Developers

About Pembina U.S.

We are a leading North American transportation and midstream service provider. For 70 years, we have been safely and reliably connecting oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids production to markets that need it. Pembina U.S. owns an integrated system of pipelines that transport various hydrocarbon liquids and natural gas products. We also own gas gathering and processing facilities, and an oil and natural gas liquids infrastructure and logistics business.

Pipelines are a safe and efficient means of transporting large quantities of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Pembina U.S.’s pipelines and facilities are designed, constructed, and operated in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

We know that maintaining the integrity of our pipelines is essential to the health and safety of the communities in which we operate. A commitment to safety is a shared responsibility between us and all our stakeholders, including the digging community.

U.S. PIPELINE SYSTEMS

In 2019, Pembina U.S. acquired ownership of the U.S. portion of the Cochin Pipeline System, which transports condensate, from Kinder Morgan. The U.S. portion of the Cochin Pipeline System is owned and operated by Pembina Cochin LLC, an affiliate of Pembina U.S. Corporation. The U.S. portion of the Vantage Pipeline and the West Spur Lateral pipelines are high vapor pressure (HVP) pipes that transport ethane. Vantage Pipeline US LP (Vantage) is the owner and operator of the Vantage Pipeline and the West Spur Lateral. Vantage is an affiliate of Pembina U.S. Corporation.

Pembina U.S. is an indirect partial owner of Aux Sable, in partnership with Williams. Aux Sable is physically operated by a Pembina U.S. subsidiary, and includes the Channahon Pipeline, which is a HVP propane / butane pipeline, and the Prairie Rose Pipeline, which is a HVP natural gas pipeline.

The Alliance Pipeline system consists of a 2,391-mile integrated Canadian and U.S. natural gas transmission pipeline system, delivering rich natural gas from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and the Williston Basin to the Chicago market hub. The system has been in commercial service since December 2000 and, through an innovative suite of customer-focused services, delivers an average of 1.6 billion standard cubic feet (or 45.3 million standard cubic meters) of natural gas per day.

What is condensate?

Condensate is a low-density mixture of hydrocarbon liquids. It is typically used in heavy oil production. Because condensate is typically liquid in ambient conditions and also has very low viscosity, it is often used to dilute highly viscous heavier oils that cannot otherwise be efficiently transported via pipelines.

What is ethane?

Ethane is a hydrocarbon that is isolated from natural gas. The petrochemical industry uses raw materials such as benzene, ethane, and propane from the oil and gas industry to manufacture products that we use every day. The Vantage Pipeline and the West Spur Lateral transport ethane, which is most commonly used to produce ethylene and polyethylene. These chemicals are needed to manufacture products like plastic, automotive antifreeze, and detergent.

What is fuel gas?

Fuel gas is a component of natural gas and is composed primarily of methane. Fuel gas is used to power natural gas engines and generators, and in various industrial applications.

What is propane/butane?

Propane and butane are hydrocarbons isolated from natural gas. The petrochemical industry uses raw materials such as propane and butane to manufacture products that we use every day. Propane and butane is used for cooking and heating. Butane is also used as a refrigerant and as propellant in aerosol cans.

PIPELINES ARE SAFE AND RELIABLE

We conduct regular inspections, maintenance, and testing to confirm that our pipelines are operating safely. We monitor the operating conditions of the pipeline through sensors 24/7/365 from our state- of-the-art control room. We conduct aerial and ground inspections to ensure our systems are operating safely and to identify unsafe or unauthorized activity which could damage the pipe or impact safe operations.

We reinforce our commitment to excellence in safety in our daily operations by developing stringent standards and reviewing potential hazards, in addition to conducting regular safety meetings, contractor screenings, and inspections.

Pembina U.S. takes many steps to ensure safe and reliable operations which include a strict adherence to an Integrity Management Program and continuous monitoring and maintenance. Damage from third-party excavation and construction activities around pipelines is the most common cause of damage to pipelines. That’s why safety is a shared responsibility and members of the digging community and the public have a role to play to protect pipelines from damage.

What is Ground Disturbance?

Ground disturbance activities include any work, operation or activity that results in the disturbance of the earth. These activities include but are not limited to: tree planting, auguring, building a fence or poundingin posts, topsoil stripping, levelling, grading, excavating, trenching, digging, quarrying, seismic exploration, blasting, plowing or tilling, installing drain tiles, tunnelling, boring, drilling and ditching.

HOW TO OBTAIN WRITTEN CONSENT

Steps to obtain written approval from Pembina U.S.

• Email landrequests@pembina.com with your name, legal land description, and a description of the work you would like to do.
• Pembina U.S. will contact you and walk you through how to submit a request for permission to proceed with your activity in, along or adjacent to the Right-of-Way (ROW) or pipeline.
• Pembina U.S. will review your request once your information has been received. Pembina U.S. may:
  • • grant consent with standard conditions
    • grant consent that requires specific conditions be met to ensure safety
    • work with you to find solutions and resolve issues regarding the consent request
    • deny consent in the rare situation that a feasible safety solution cannot be found.
• Once consent has been granted, you must:
  • • make a locate request to your local One Call Notification Center at least 2-3 business days, or as indicated by your local One Call Notification Center, before beginning the work. Pembina U.S. will arrange for a Company representative to be on site to inspect the area at time of crossing.
    • always keep the written consent and documentation onsite.
    • follow all terms and conditions laid out in the consent, and all instructions from Pembina U.S. personnel onsite

IMPORTANCE OF DEPTH OF COVER

Depth of cover (DOC) is the vertical distance between the top of the pipeline and the surface of the ground. It is crucial for protecting both the pipeline and the interests of landowners. Adequate depth ensures the pipeline is shielded from surface activities like agricultural activity, construction, or heavy equipment traffic, reducing the risk of accidental damage and potential safety hazards.

If you are aware of areas where DOC has changed due to erosion, construction activities, or farming practices, please contact us at DPPA@pembina.com or 1-800-920-1979.

PLANNING WORK AROUND PIPELINES

Some of the biggest threats to pipeline safety come from unauthorized construction, development, encroachment and digging activities. Notifying Pembina U.S. and your local One-Call Centre are your first steps to preventing damage to underground infrastructure and working safely around pipelines.

Pembina U.S may require a written consent before the following activities can occur:

• construction of a facility across, on, along, or under a pipeline (including the ROW)
• ground disturbance activities (excavation or digging)
• operation of a vehicle or mobile equipment across a Right-of-Way (ROW) or pipeline, outside the travelled portion of a highway or public road
• using explosives within 300 meters or 1,000 feet of Pembina U.S.’s pipeline Right-of-Way (ROW) or pipeline
• any activity that the company deems may negatively impact the safety of the pipeline

Always have a copy of your agreement onsite. It informs us of your activity and allows us to provide guidance to prevent incidents or damage to our pipelines.

EMERGENCY & CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (ECMP)

Although rare, emergencies can occur. To prepare for these instances, Pembina U.S. participates in an Emergency & Continuity Management Program (ECMP), which includes comprehensive standards and processes to support the safety of the public, our workers and the environment.

The ECMP evaluates potential hazards from our operations as well as other hazards such as security breaches and natural disasters. Our comprehensive evaluation provides the foundation for our approach of prevention, planning, response and recovery. This approach allows for a safe and effective response to an incident. Emergency Response Plans (ERP) are maintained for Pembina U.S.’s facilities and products. These plans identify the organizational structure, equipment, and resources necessary to ensure that actions are taken for the protection of the public, employees and the environment. Pembina U.S. conducts ongoing responder training, exercises, and public consultation to ensure continuous improvement of our plans and program and that our personnel are ready to respond to emergencies.

HOW TO SPOT A PIPELINE RELEASE

Pembina U.S.’s pipelines carry different product, and warning signs differ depending on the type of resource transported.

Products have different characteristics if they are released:

• Ethane enters the atmosphere as a hazardous and flammable gas. Contact with ethane may cause skin irritation and/or frostbite. Exposure to ethane may cause headache, dizziness or nausea. Ethane is heavier than air. At very high concentrations, ethane can cause suffocation due to the lack of oxygen in the air.
• Condensate is a hazardous and extremely flammable liquid. Contact with condensate may case headache, nausea, dizziness, skin and eye irritation.
• Fuel gas is extremely flammable and may cause suffocation. If you feel unwell, seek medical attention immediately. Contact with rapidly expanding or liquified gas may cause skin irritation and/or frostbite
• Propane is an extremely flammable product that is heavier than air. Propane vapors may travel long distances to a point of ignition and then flash back. Exposure to skin may cause frostbite, blisters, tingling, pain and/or numbness.

In the unlikely event of a release, condensate is a hazardous and extremely flammable liquid. Contact with condensate may case headache, nausea, dizziness, skin and eye irritation.