By Edward Welsch CALGARY, Alberta--Inter Pipeline Fund (IPL.UN.T) said Tuesday it plans a 2.1 billion Canadian dollar (US$2.1 billion) expansion of pipeline systems to support Cenovus Energy Inc.'s (CVE) oil-sands projects in Alberta. The expansion of the Cold Lake and Polaris pipeline systems will provide 820,000 barrels a day of pipeline capacity to support the expansion of Cenovus's Foster Creek and Christina Lake oil-sands projects, as well as the development of that company's Narrows Lake oil-sands project. About 520 miles of new pipeline will be built, Inter Pipeline said in a release. The pipeline expansion supporting Foster Creek and Christina Lake projects will be operational in mid-2014, and the Narrows Lake pipeline will start in mid-2016, it said. Cenovus operates the Foster Creek and Christina Lake projects in a 50% joint venture with ConocoPhillips (COP). Foster Creek can produce up to 120,000 barrels a day and expansions will take it to at least 290,000 barrels a day. Christina Lake can produce 58,000 barrels a day and expansions will take it to 278,000 barrels a day. Narrows Lake is a development fully owned by Cenovus, with an initial 45,000 barrel a day phase expected to start production in 2016. Write to Edward Welsch at edward.welsch@dowjones.com Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
