XML 33 R8.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.6.0.2
GENERAL BUSINESS DESCRIPTION
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
GENERAL BUSINESS DESCRIPTION  
GENERAL BUSINESS DESCRIPTION

1.   GENERAL BUSINESS DESCRIPTION

 

Enbridge Inc. (Enbridge or the Company) is a publicly traded energy transportation and distribution company. Enbridge conducts its business through five business segments: Liquids Pipelines; Gas Distribution; Gas Pipelines and Processing; Green Power and Transmission; and Energy Services. These reporting segments are strategic business units established by senior management to facilitate the achievement of the Company’s long-term objectives, to aid in resource allocation decisions and to assess operational performance.

 

LIQUIDS PIPELINES

Liquids Pipelines consists of common carrier and contract crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGL) and refined products pipelines and terminals in Canada and the United States, including Canadian Mainline, Lakehead Pipeline System (Lakehead System), Regional Oil Sands System, Mid-Continent and Gulf Coast, Southern Lights Pipeline, Bakken System and Feeder Pipelines and Other.

 

GAS DISTRIBUTION

Gas Distribution consists of the Company’s natural gas utility operations, the core of which is Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. (EGD), which serves residential, commercial and industrial customers, primarily in central and eastern Ontario as well as northern New York State. This business segment also includes natural gas distribution activities in Quebec and New Brunswick and the Company’s investment in Noverco Inc. (Noverco).

 

GAS PIPELINES AND PROCESSING

Gas Pipelines and Processing consists of investments in natural gas pipelines and gathering and processing facilities. Investments in natural gas pipelines include the Company’s interests in Alliance Pipeline, Vector Pipeline (Vector) and transmission and gathering pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico. Investments in natural gas processing include the Company’s interest in Aux Sable, a natural gas extraction and fractionation business located near the terminus of the Alliance Pipeline, Canadian Midstream assets located in northeast British Columbia and northwest Alberta and United States Midstream assets located primarily in Texas and Oklahoma.

 

GREEN POWER AND TRANSMISSION

Green Power and Transmission consists of the Company’s investments in renewable energy assets and transmission facilities. Renewable energy assets consist of wind, solar, geothermal and waste heat recovery facilities and are located in Canada primarily in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Quebec and in the United States primarily in Colorado, Texas, Indiana and West Virginia. The Company also has assets under development located in Europe.

 

ENERGY SERVICES

The Energy Services businesses in Canada and the United States undertake physical commodity marketing activity and logistical services, oversee refinery supply services and manage the Company’s volume commitments on various pipeline systems.

 

ELIMINATIONS AND OTHER

In addition to the segments noted above, Eliminations and Other includes operating and administrative costs and foreign exchange costs which are not allocated to business segments. Also included in Eliminations and Other are new business development activities, general corporate investments and elimination of transactions between segments required to present financial performance and financial position on a consolidated basis.

 

CANADIAN RESTRUCTURING PLAN

Effective September 1, 2015, under an agreement with Enbridge Income Fund (the Fund) and Enbridge Income Fund Holdings Inc. (ENF), Enbridge transferred its Canadian Liquids Pipelines business, held by Enbridge Pipelines Inc. (EPI) and Enbridge Pipelines (Athabasca) Inc. (EPAI), and certain Canadian renewable energy assets to the Fund Group (comprising the Fund, Enbridge Commercial Trust (ECT), Enbridge Income Partners LP (EIPLP) and the subsidiaries of EIPLP) for consideration valued at $30.4 billion plus incentive distribution and performance rights (the Canadian Restructuring Plan). The consideration that Enbridge received included $18.7 billion of units in the Fund Group, comprised of $3 billion of Fund units and $15.7 billion of equity units of EIPLP, in which the Fund has an interest. The Fund Group also assumed debt of EPI and EPAI of approximately $11.7 billion.