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Enbridge to upgrade oil sands project

CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Canadian pipeline company Enbridge said it was expanding its Athabasca pipeline in Canada to accommodate growth in the oil sands market.

Stephen Wuori, a top executive at Enbridge, said it was appropriate to upgrade its 335-mile pipeline to take advantage of emerging oil sands in the Athabasca region of Alberta, Canada.

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"Given recent announcements of continued growth and investment in the oil sands, this is an opportune time to capture construction economies by undertaking a single large expansion project," he said in a statement.

Enbridge said it plans to spend about $200 million to expand the Athabasca pipeline to its maximum capacity of 570,000 barrels per day. The company expects to have the project completed by 2014.

Oil sands in the Athabasca region of Canada are among the world's richest deposits, though environmental groups complain exploiting the unconventional plays are wreaking havoc on area waterways.

The Canadian pipeline company said last year it was spending $1.6 billion to expand oil sands projects in the region.

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