Pipeline

Johnston-Vermette has been doing pipeline projects since the firm was founded in 1993. In fact, the two initial projects which served as the launching vehicles for the company were both natural gas compression stations: one for SOQUIP, at Québec City, and the other for Rolls-Royce in Montreal.

In 1997, Johnston-Vermette undertook the engineering for the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System, a 218 km pipeline between Montreal and the New Hampshire border. It was an occasion for the firm to develop new technology in pipeline engineering with the production of several hundred drawings based on digital orthophotos. Johnston-Vermette also carried out the geotechnical and mechanical engineering studies for crossing the St. Lawrence River in the axis Repentigny – Boucherville, using the directional drilling technique.

Other important projects followed, and our technological progress advanced in step with the new projects. In 2004, Johnston-Vermette designed a pipeline crossing of the St. Lawrence River at Bécancour, a 3.2 km crossing which was the longest in the world for a directional drilling in rock. During the same year, the firm innovated in developing the capacity to do airborne survey with LiDAR, for Ultramar. This was for a 250 km refined products pipeline between Lévis and Montreal.

Johnston-Vermette has participated in all the major pipeline projects in Quebec for many years, as well as projects in Africa and in Alberta.

Johnston-Vermette does feasibility studies, with route selection and economic evaluation. We continue with the preparation of detailed plans and specifications, material selection, and construction supervision.

Johnston-Vermette’s team is formed of engineers and technicians with 20 to 30 years of experience in flow calculations, detailed plans and specifications, construction supervision, and pipeline operation. We have an on-going research and development program which is used to improve our technology on a continuing basis.

A look at the future

The shale gas industry is developing in Quebec. Johnston-Vermette is actively preparing to participate for the compression and dehydration stations, and for the surface pipelines which will be installed.