Trans Mountain pipeline expansion gets route variance approved

Canada’s Trans Mountain crude oil pipeline expansion project has received approval from the Canada Energy Regulator for the 18-km West Alternative Route in the Coldwater Valley area of British Columbia. The new route moves the pipeline away from an underground aquifer supplying the Coldwater Indian Band with water. Trans Mountain will be able to carry 890,000 b/d of Alberta-sourced production to the coast in Burnaby, BC, once the expansion is complete, nearly triple its current capacity.

Construction of the roughly 700-mile pipeline, following a route parallel to that of the original Trans Mountain, is under way in both Alberta and British Columbia and expected to be completed late 2022. In Alberta, Trans Mountain says it has begun work in the Yellowhead region west of Hinton, Alta. Construction in this area will continue through December 2022. Work in the greater Edmonton area is nearly complete, according to Trans Mountain.

Crews are also at work near Kamloops, BC. Activities include installation of a 1.5-km transmission spur north of Kamloops to power Trans Mountain’s Black Pines pump station, being built as part of the expansion project. Work also includes clearing, grading, stripping, and blasting.

Maintenance and expansion is also under way at Burnaby Terminal, including tank construction, in-line inspections of existing pipe segments, and relocation of existing infrastructure where required. Boring is occurring to construct a 2.6-km tunnel connecting Burnaby Terminal to Westridge Marine Terminal.

Pembina Pipeline Corp. is part of a partnership seeking to buy Trans Mountain from the Canadian government.