The facility near Inuvik and intermediate compressor stations will be operated by personnel located onsite 24 hours per day during the initial start-up phase. Activities might include general surveillance, testing and troubleshooting, equipment starting and stopping, and maintenance such as equipment vibration surveys, filter and lube oil changes, and warehouse inventory re-supply.

Each facility would be continuously monitored and designed to operate remotely from an offsite operations control centre. This includes performing activities such as adjusting flow rates, temperatures and pressures, reading process and equipment alarms, and shut downs.

A central control system would be used to operate the entire system more efficiently. Canadian pipeline operations control centres are typically centralized. For example, TransCanada Pipelines and Imperial Oil Limited Pipelines have control centres in Calgary; Enbridge's is located in Edmonton. The operations control centre could also be located with the facilities near Inuvik and Norman Wells.

At some point, some or all of the facilities might be operated remotely with personnel visiting on an as needed basis. In this case, the facilities would continue to be monitored full-time and controlled remotely from the operations control centre. Staff would visit the site on a periodic basis for surveillance, maintenance, and other operations activities, as required.

Once the pipelines are in operation, they will be continuously monitored from the operations control centre. Periodic inspections and maintenance activities will be performed after appropriate planning and training. Activities might include internal and external pipeline inspections, maintenance of the right-of-way, testing, and fuel re-supply of block valve sites.

In addition, pipeline operations and maintenance support might be set up along the pipeline corridor at communities that have important infrastructure such as airports and all weather road access. Facilities at these locations might include offices, a warehouse and storage yard.

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