Enbridge first filed plans for the pipeline extension in late 2014
Enbridge’s Line 3 replacement enters final stretch
The Canadian company is edging closer to startup on its long overdue pipeline project, but several potential hurdles still lie ahead
Calgary-based midstream company Enbridge is finally preparing to bring its Line 3 replacement oil pipeline from Alberta to Wisconsin online following years of delays and regulatory and legal obstacles. The project is significant as it is the first cross-border pipeline between Canada and the US in years, as well as the first major oil sands pipeline in some time. The replacement will restore the route to its original design capacity of 760,000bl/d after years of operating at half-capacity due to safety concerns. Major pipeline projects in North America have increasingly become targets of local and environmental opposition, but as the Line 3 replacement edges towards startup the likelihood of
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
