The earth is moving in Dawn-Euphemia as Union Gas begins construction on one of its biggest projects in massive expansion of its natural gas infrastructure.

Construction on the new $250 million compressor station on Bentpath Line is now underway with dozens of gravel trucks traveling the back roads of Dawn-Euphemia in the last few weeks.

Officials say some of the 100 contractors expected on site during the course of the expansion have begun their work.

“We’ve moved some of the heavy equipment in and the earth mover has started to scrape the soil and started to build the berms up,” says Jeff Gallie, systems operations manager for Union Gas. Gallie and the director of storage and transmission at Union Gas, Dave Lamoureux, recently outlined the company’s expansion plans at Dawn-Euphemia Council.

Gallie says there will be two distinct parts to the project, building the compressor station and building the complex pipeline system to link it to what is already there.

Gallie says neighbours in the area will also begin to see large pieces of pipe move into the area. One of the contractors Aecon will be fabricating what they need from it right on site.

Another part of the project will be the decommissioning of one of the Dawn Site’s oldest units – Dawn B.

Lamoureux says it was built in the 1970s and in the last few years, it as been difficult to get parts for it. When there was a problem last year, 15 parts had to be fabricated to repair the unit.

When the new compressor at Dawn was conceived, it was designed to take on the capacity of the old unit and then some. Lamoureux says the old unit will be decommissioned once the new compressor is on line, likely in 2018.

And as the quarter of a billion dollar project begins to take shape, the company is also working on two pipeline projects, the Panhandle project which will increase the size of a natural gas line feeding the Chatham-Kent, Windsor-Essex area. Union Gas has also restarted plans to upgrade a 18 km line between the Dawn site and the Enniskillen station near Oil Springs.

Lamoureax expects the Enniskillen project may be ready in 2019. The Panhandle project could be built in 2017.

The three projects are part of a multi-billion expansion of infrastructure by Union Gas to take advantage of the new sources of natural gas available in the United States because of fracking. The company upgrading the capacity system from Dawn into the Toronto area.

Dave Lamoureux, Union Gas’ director of storage and transmission operations

Jeff Gallie system operations manager