ENBRIDGE GATEWAY PROJECT Pipelines Scope Focus was retained by Enbridge to work on their Gateway Project following the successful completion of a satellite remote sensing pilot project. The pilot was designed to highlight the efficiencies in terms of labour, costs, and quality of satellite-based mapping versus the traditional field-based assessment approach. An automated GIS-based algorithm was designed and implemented (along with multispectral image classification) to demonstrate the value of the substantive information content provided by satellite imagery, in contrast with aerial photography and standard provincial mapping in the pilot.

Based on the success of this pilot, Enbridge tasked Focus with the acquisition, processing, compilation, and presentation (in hardcopy map-book and digital formats) of approximately 1400 km of proposed pipeline corridor mapping using Landsat 7 satellite imagery and 1:20k provincial digital mapping. The project also involved the acquisition and interpolation of approximately 200 1:20k digital elevation spot height and contour files into 12.5 metre gridded DEMs that are to be used by Focus for generating slope, aspect, profiles, and fly-throughs for pre-planning purposes.

In total, more than 453600 square kilometers of imagery was acquired, orthorectified, colour-fused, enhanced, and mosaicked into a seamless imagery product for use in the assessment of various alternative routes based on environmental, property, and constructability constraints. The imagery serves as the fundamental base onto which further information layers are draped.

Focus is also acting as a data custodian for both Enbridge and its sub-consultants for the project.