Stockbridge High school students visit the largest crude oil pipeline facility in Michigan
Photos and story by Alex R. Weddon
A select group of Stockbridge High school students visited the largest crude oil pipeline facility in Michigan as part of the Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium’s Careers in Energy week.
Seniors George Brewster, Noah Ford and junior Dominic Bickley along with other Ingham County Career Center welding students toured the Stockbridge Terminal owned and operated by Enbridge Inc. on Tuesday, October 14.
“In 1989 I started as a general laborer, learned welding on-site and became a Senior Welder in a few years and earned a good living,” offered Terminal Manager Rusty Smith. He added that the company promotes from within, but the need for welders is such that they often hire outside talent.
The students got a close-up look at pipelines, control valves, storage tanks and equipment used to deliver crude oil from Canada to refineries around North America. The nine tanks in the Stockbridge terminal can hold over 2,300,000 barrels of crude oil that are routed to Sarnia, Ontario, Toledo OH or Detroit.