Enbridge, Canada’s largest pipeline operator, is reporting a net loss attributable to common shareholders of $90 million in the third quarter of this year compared with earnings of $765 million a year ago.
The loss was five cents per common share compared with earnings of 47 cents in the third quarter of 2017.
“Enbridge continues to make good progress executing its $22 billion secured growth capital program for 2018 to 2020. The individual projects that make up the secured program are all supported by long-term take-or-pay contracts, cost-of-service frameworks or similar low-risk commercial arrangements and are diversified across a wide range of business platforms and regulatory jurisdictions,” said the company in a news release.
“The company has now completed the bulk of its $7 billion of growth projects scheduled to come into service in 2018, substantially on time and on budget. This is comprised of almost a dozen projects across all business units, including expansions to the existing Canadian and U.S. gas transmission systems, the company’s first European offshore wind project and ongoing capital expansion within the utility franchises.
“Most recently in October, the US$1.3 billion (Enbridge’s share) NEXUS and the associated US$0.2 billion TEAL natural gas pipeline projects were brought into service, providing much needed export capacity out of the Marcellus and Utica basins into the upper Midwest and Eastern Canadian markets. In addition, the US$1.6 billion Valley Crossing natural gas pipeline project entered service on Oct. 31, supported by take-or-pay transportation contracts. Volumes have begun to flow in the header system at Agua Dulce, however, exports to Mexico will not begin until the third party downstream Mexican pipeline is placed in service.”
The company also said the $9 billion Line 3 Replacement Project continues to progress well and it is “a critical integrity replacement project that will enhance the safety and reliability of the Enbridge Liquids Mainline System and provide incremental export capacity to Western Canadian producers and increased security of supply for key refining markets along the Mainline system as well as to markets further downstream.”
“In Canada, the 2018 construction season is well under way, with over 60 per cent of the pipe now laid. Remaining construction activities in Canada are on plan for completion mid-2019. In the U.S., the pipeline replacement work in Wisconsin is now complete and has been placed into service.”
Mario Toneguzzi is a veteran Calgary-based journalist who worked for 35 years for the Calgary Herald, including 12 years as a senior business writer.
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