Enbridge Inc. plans to wrap dented sections of an underwater liquids pipeline in the Great Lakes that sustained damage in an anchor strike.
The early April anchor strike affected infrastructure running along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac — the waterway that connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron — including Enbridge's Line 5 pipe system.
The company is working on plans to make reinforcing repairs on the line and is considering using a composite wrap around the dented sections, Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy said. "This is a proven effective technique that is used regularly for underwater pipelines."
The company expects to finalize its repair plans within the next few weeks, Duffy said, noting that the damage did not hurt the pipeline's function. "Line 5 continues to operate, and all our inspection data shows there was no damage to its structural integrity."
The anchor strike also affected American Transmission Co. LLC power cables, causing them to leak mineral-based insulation fluid.
Enbridge's Line 5 comprises twin 20-inch pipelines moving oil and natural gas liquids. Line 5 has been under heightened scrutiny in recent years, and photographs that Enbridge submitted to Michigan regulators showed areas of disturbed or missing pipe coating on the system, among other concerns. The company has also found that sections of the Line 5 system did not have the standard protective enamel coating.
