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Working Safely Near Pioneer Natural Gas Pipelines

Damage prevention is a shared responsibility.  Pioneer Gas Co-op Limited pipeline infrastructure and right-of-way must be treated with caution.  Making contact with a pipeline can have severe consequences ranging from personal injury to service disruptions and environmental damage. Any resulting delays can also have a large financial impact, directly affecting your bottom line.  Please take a moment to read this information sheet before beginning any excavation or ground disturbance activity near our pipelines.

Emergency Procedures

If you accidentally come into contact with the pipeline, notify PIONEER GAS CO-OP immediately by calling 403-641-3632.  Even seemingly minor damage can have a serious impact.

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If you hit the pipeline and product escapes:

  1. Turn off all ignition sources - machinery, equipment, cell phones

  2. Leave the area immediately, on foot, and in an upwind direction

  3. Warn others to stay away

  4. When you are a safe distance away, call 911 then PIONEER GAS CO-OP at 403-641-3632.

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Locating the Pipeline

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Our pipelines are found in a road allowance or right-of-way, which is a narrow stretch of land that provides safe access for pipeline monitoring and maintenance.

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Pipeline markers provide important safety information such as the type of product carried, the local One Call number, and Pioneer Gas Co-op Limited Emergency Notification number.

Your Safety Checklist

 

  1. Contact your local One Call Center (Utility Safety Partners)

  2. Obtain ground disturbance guideline information from Pioneer Gas Co-op

  3. Make yourself aware of Pioneer Gas Co-op requirements

  4. Always have a valid One Call ticket onsite

  5. Ensure all Pioneer Gas Co-op pipelines are hand exposed by an approved method (hydrovac, water jet, etc.) for any work within 5 meters (17 feet) of the pipeline

  6. Ensure a Pioneer Gas Co-op representative is onsite for any mechanical/machine work within 0.6 meters (2 feet) of the pipeline

  7. Ensure a Pioneer Gas Co-op representative is onsite before back-filling if required

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Activity Requiring Company Approval

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Any ground disturbance work within 30 meters (100 feet) of our pipeline requires written approval from Pioneer Gas Co-op Limited.  Ground disturbance activities include, but are not limited to:

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  • Road construction

  • Heavy equipment crossings

  • Driving objects into the ground and/or excavation (fence posts)

  • Grading, tree planting, cultivation (45 cm deep or greater)

  • Installing irrigation systems and ditching

  • Landscaping

  • Drilling, digging, compacting, stockpiling material or using any equipment casing ground vibration

  • Using explosives

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Additional approvals will be required for installing anything of a permanent nature within the pipeline right-of-way.  Pioneer now requires a Landowner Crossing Agreement if you are crossing our main pipeline with a buried facility of your own on your property.  Even if a contractor is performing the work,  you as the landowner are responsible for ensuring all requirements are met.

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For more information, please contact us by calling 403-641-3632 or send an email to pioneer@eidnet.org.

Ground Disturbance Requirements

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Before you begin any ground disturbance work, contact your local One Call centre (www.utilitysafety.ca).  If your proposed work is near our right-of-way, a Pioneer Gas Co-op representative will call you back to discuss your proposed work and, if required, meet with you onsite to determine the exact location of the pipeline.  This service is typically provided at no cost to you.

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Please note that Pioneer Gas Co-op does not locate privately owned or secondary lines on your property.  You must call a third party locator to locate these for you.

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