Some facts about Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline

KITAMAAT VILLAGE, B.C. - Here are some facts about Enbridge Inc.'s (TSX:ENB) proposed Northern Gateway pipeline:

Route: Northern Gateway would run between Bruderheim, Alta., northeast of Edmonton, to a marine terminal at Kitimat B.C. on the northern coast.

Length: 1,172 kilometres

Design: The project consists of two parallel pipelines: one to carry oilsands crude from Alberta to Kitimat and another to carry imported condensates — lighter petroleum used to thin oilsands crude so it can flow through pipelines — from Kitimat eastward.

Capacity: The oilsands line would have a capacity of 525,000 barrels of oil per day, while the condensate line would carry 193,000 barrels per day.

Size: The oilsands line would be 914 millimetres in diameter, and the condensate line would be 508 millimetres in diameter.

Construction: The vast majority of the pipe would be buried up to a metre underground, except at some water crossings where it's safer to run the line above ground.

Construction jobs: Enbridge estimates construction will create about 62,700 person-years of employment over three years of construction. During peak construction, 2,000 to 3,000 people will work on building the pipelines and their associated facilities.

Permanent jobs: Permanent pipeline operations would directly employ 104 people at various locations throughout Alberta and B.C., about half of whom would work in Kitimat.

Alternatives: Some Canadian crude can access the West Coast through Kinder Morgan's 300,000 barrel-per-day Trans Mountain pipeline, which runs from near Edmonton to the B.C. Lower Mainland and Washington State. Kinder Morgan is looking to expand that line.

Critics: Environmental, First Nations and other groups have spoken out against Northern Gateway. They say Enbridge can't guarantee there won't be a spill from the line itself or from a tanker along the coast and that such a spill would devastate the ecosystem.

Proponents: Enbridge has framed Northern Gateway as a matter of national interest, as it would help Canada become less reliant on a single oil export market: the United States. The ability to ship crude to Asia would get Canadian oil producers a better price for their crude. Suncor Energy Inc., Total E&P Canada, Cenovus Energy Corp., Nexen Inc. and MEG Energy Corp. are among the oilsands producers who back Northern Gateway.

Aboriginals: Some 130 B.C. First Nations, most of which have not signed treaties, have spoken out against the project. Enbridge has offered dozens of aboriginal groups a 10 per cent stake in the project, and says support has been strong.