ProjectOilGoes mixed

Enbridge Line 5 (Straits of Mackinac tunnel)

Enbridge's Line 5 carries up to 540,000 barrels a day of crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario. The Great Lakes Tunnel project would replace the twin pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac with a single pipe in a tunnel, adding no capacity. The US Army Corps of Engineers issued its permit and record of decision on 12 August 2026, but on 31 July 2026 the Michigan Supreme Court vacated the state's siting approval and sent it back to the Michigan Public Service Commission, so construction cannot start yet. Line 5 ends at Sarnia, where Line 9 starts and carries crude to Montreal; Natural Resources Canada counts Quebec refineries among those Line 5 serves.

Status

Proposed

Direction

Mixed: Can go more than one way.

Capacity

540 kb/d (existing Line 5; tunnel replaces the Straits segment, no new capacity)

Owners

• Enbridge (100%) as of 12 August 2026

Events

• 12 August 2026US Army Corps of Engineers issues the permit for Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel ('a testament to President Trump's vision to ensure our nation's energy dominance')ActionPermitUnited States1 source
• about 16 April 2025Army Corps gives the Enbridge Line 5 tunnel emergency permitting under the Jan 2025 energy-emergency EOActionPermitUnited States1 source
• 20252025 crude imports: 506 kb/d, 75.6% from the US; Quebec's all from the USDocumentOtherCanada3 sources

Corrections to this record

• 6 October 2026Review pass

  The sentence said Line 9 depends on crude delivered by Line 5, which our sources do not establish: other pipelines also bring crude to Sarnia. It now states what federal sources show: Line 5 ends at Sarnia, where Line 9 starts for Montreal, and Natural Resources Canada counts Quebec refineries among those Line 5 serves (Question Period note, April 2021; Canada Energy Regulator pipeline profile).

  Summary

  wasEnbridge's Line 5 carries up to 540,000 barrels a day of crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario. The Great Lakes Tunnel project would replace the twin pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac with a single pipe in a tunnel, adding no capacity. The US Army Corps of Engineers issued its permit and record of decision on 12 August 2026, but on 31 July 2026 the Michigan Supreme Court vacated the state's siting approval and sent it back to the Michigan Public Service Commission, so construction cannot start yet. Line 9, which supplies Quebec refineries, depends on crude delivered by Line 5. nowEnbridge's Line 5 carries up to 540,000 barrels a day of crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario. The Great Lakes Tunnel project would replace the twin pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac with a single pipe in a tunnel, adding no capacity. The US Army Corps of Engineers issued its permit and record of decision on 12 August 2026, but on 31 July 2026 the Michigan Supreme Court vacated the state's siting approval and sent it back to the Michigan Public Service Commission, so construction cannot start yet. Line 5 ends at Sarnia, where Line 9 starts and carries crude to Montreal; Natural Resources Canada counts Quebec refineries among those Line 5 serves.

  Summary fr

  wasLa canalisation 5 d'Enbridge transporte jusqu'à 540 000 barils par jour de pétrole brut et de liquides de gaz naturel de Superior (Wisconsin) à Sarnia (Ontario). Le projet de tunnel des Grands Lacs remplacerait les deux conduites sous le détroit de Mackinac par une seule conduite en tunnel, sans ajout de capacité. Le Corps du génie de l'armée américaine a délivré son permis et sa décision le 12 août 2026, mais le 31 juillet 2026, la Cour suprême du Michigan a annulé l'approbation de tracé de l'État et renvoyé le dossier à la Michigan Public Service Commission : les travaux ne peuvent donc pas encore commencer. La canalisation 9, qui approvisionne les raffineries du Québec, dépend du brut livré par la canalisation 5. nowLa canalisation 5 d'Enbridge transporte jusqu'à 540 000 barils par jour de pétrole brut et de liquides de gaz naturel de Superior (Wisconsin) à Sarnia (Ontario). Le projet de tunnel des Grands Lacs remplacerait les deux conduites sous le détroit de Mackinac par une seule conduite en tunnel, sans ajout de capacité. Le Corps du génie de l'armée américaine a délivré son permis et sa décision le 12 août 2026, mais le 31 juillet 2026, la Cour suprême du Michigan a annulé l'approbation de tracé de l'État et renvoyé le dossier à la Michigan Public Service Commission : les travaux ne peuvent donc pas encore commencer. La canalisation 5 aboutit à Sarnia, point de départ de la canalisation 9, qui achemine du brut jusqu'à Montréal; Ressources naturelles Canada compte les raffineries du Québec parmi celles que dessert la canalisation 5.