Projects

From planning and design to pipe manufacturing, transportation, assembly, and system start-up, we maintain the highest applicable industry standards.

Pipelines are constructed with quality certified steel and assembled by qualified personnel. Each stage of construction is overseen by inspectors to ensure compliance with federal regulations and industry standards. Our pipeline steel must meet stringent requirements for toughness and strength, and construction personnel, such as welders, must have qualification certifications. After construction, the pipeline undergoes testing to confirm it is sound and ready for service.

We aim to avoid, minimize and mitigate our impact on the environment and our neighbors throughout the construction process. Efforts include routing pipelines around sensitive areas when possible, following existing utility corridors to reduce new impacts and utilizing construction practices that minimize disruptions to the surrounding area.

Construction phase activity

• Survey and Planning: The construction process begins with a thorough survey of the potential route. This survey work allows us to optimize the path the route will take, avoiding sensitive environments and ensuring an appropriate distance from people and existing resources. Our crews acquire rights-of-way for pipeline installation and on-site construction activities. This phase includes field work, impact assessment, stakeholder engagement, route selection, and permitting.
• Clearing, Topsoil Stripping, and Grading: The right-of-way is cleared of trees, brush, and rocks. Topsoil is stockpiled for reclamation, and the area is leveled and graded to provide access for construction equipment.
• Stringing and Bending: Individual pipe sections are laid out end-to-end along the right-of-way and bent to fit the terrain using specialized hydraulic bending machines.
• Welding, Inspection, and Coating: Welders join the pipes using both manual and automated applications. Each weld is inspected and certified by x-ray or ultrasound to ensure quality. The welds are then coated with additional anti-corrosion materials to protect the pipeline.
• Trenching/Ditching: A trench is dug using trenchers or backhoes. In areas where the pipeline must cross waterways, roads, or railroads, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is employed to bore under these obstacles without disrupting the environment.
• Water Crossing: Specialized techniques are used to safely cross bodies of water, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
• Lowering-In/Tie-In: The welded pipe is carefully lowered into the trench, and valves and other fittings are installed.
• Back-Fill: The trench is backfilled with filtered native soil to protect the pipe, and topsoil is replaced and re-contoured to restore the land.
• Post-Construction: Temporary facilities are removed, and the land is reseeded for restoration. Pipeline markers are installed at road and railroad crossings and at intervals along the right-of-way to ensure safety and awareness.
• Testing: The pipeline undergoes rigorous testing to ensure its integrity. Inspection tools are sent through the pipeline to detect any anomalies.
• Cathodic Protection: An electrical current is directed onto the buried pipe to prevent corrosion, ensuring the long-term durability of the pipeline.
• Clean-Up and Land Reinstatement: All impacted land is restored to its original condition, ensuring minimal long-term environmental impact. We take pride in our efforts to leave the environment as we found it, if not better.