Enbridge Inc.'s Alberta Clipper project will be integrated with the company's existing system in Canada and the Enbridge Energy Partners’ Lakehead system in the United States. According to Enbridge, Alberta Clipper will help to meet increasing demand in the U.S. Midwest markets. The supply from Western Canada's oil sands development is expected to increase by 1.8 million barrels per day by 2015. Oil sands producers and refiners have asked for more capacity, and Enbridge aims to meet this demand with Alberta Clipper.

The Alberta Clipper Project integrates new and existing Enbridge pipelines to transport crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to Superior, Wis. The 1,000-mile pipeline is expected to have an initial capacity of 450,000 b/d and ultimate capacity of 800,000 b/d available.

Willbros Group Inc. built the Canadian Mainline Pipeline project, the Contract "A" Line 4 Expansion, and a segment of the Alberta Clipper pipeline. Willbros has looped three 36-inch pipelines from Sherwood Park to Hardisty, Alberta. Shaw Pipe Protection provided coatings for the pipeline project; WorleyParsons provided detailed engineering services to the Canadian segments of the project.

Construction on the project began in summer 2008, and the pipeline was placed into service on April 1, 2010. In its Second Quarter 2010 announcement, Enbridge anticipated that line fill would conclude and full operations would likely commence later in the year.