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DEH CHO
Enbridge Pipelines Inc. is preparing for its 2013 investigative digs program.

The company will be doing 24 digs between January and the end of March on the pipeline that runs between Norman Wells and Zama, Alta. The digs are part of the company's ongoing integrity dig program, said Graham White, a spokesperson for Enbridge.

Enbridge uses in-line inspection tools loaded with sensors and software that travel inside the pipeline to gather data about the line. The data is processed to determine if there are any features that may be cause for concern, said White.

The identified features could be anything from dents, to cracks to corrosion.

"Anything that could possibly cause an integrity issue anywhere down the line," he said.

A hole is dug down to the line, which lays approximately one metre underground, and, depending on what is found, a number of actions could be taken, said White. They include replacing the external or internal coating that's primary purpose is to protect the pipeline from corrosion, welding another section of pipe over the affected part of the line or completely replacing a part of the pipeline.

White couldn't specify how many of the 24 digs will be done in the Deh Cho. Additional digs may be done during the course of the project.

The company is establishing two camps in the region to facilitate the work. One camp is just south of Fort Simpson and another is near Wrigley.

A third camp will be positioned near Tulita.

Approximately 120 to 150 workers will be involved in the project. Ledcor is the general contractor for the project and will be working under supervision of Enbridge.

There will be local employment created by the project, said White, although he was unable to elaborate on how many contractors or workers from the Deh Cho may be used.

The integrity dig program isn't expected to cause any impacts to local communities. If any occur, Enbridge will work to minimize them as much as possible, said White.

Last winter 12 integrity digs were conducted on the Deh Cho portion of the pipeline.

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