Kinder Morgan Canada has federal approval to expand its Trans Mountain Pipeline system, creating vital marketing opportunities for Canada’s number one export product.
Why: New customers, new opportunities
Oil is Canada’s top export. But Western Canadian oil producers have only one customer — the United States, which is in a long-term oil production boom. The Trans Mountain Expansion Project will move more Canadian oil to West Coast tidewater, creating an essential new connection to markets such as Asia.
What: A $6.8-billion investment
The Trans Mountain Expansion Project is a $6.8-billion construction project. The expansion parallels the 1,150-km route of the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline, which was built in 1953 and is the only West Coast link for Western Canadian oil. Pipeline capacity will increase from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of oil per day.
Who: Kinder Morgan Canada partners with oil shippers
Kinder Morgan Canada, owner and operator of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, is facing a demand of 41 per cent above capacity and wants to expand. Thirteen oil shippers have signed long-term contracts supporting the expansion. The shippers include many of Canada’s largest oil producers, such as Cenovus Energy and Suncor.
Where: A bigger BC-Alberta pipeline link
The Expansion Project extends between the Edmonton Tank Terminal in Alberta, and Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, British Columbia. Seventy-three per cent of the construction route will use existing right-of-way, 16 per cent follows other linear infrastructure such as a utility or highway and 11 per cent is new right-of-way.
When: Construction start scheduled for September 2017
The Government of Canada approved the Project on November 29, 2016. This federal approval triggers a number of steps, including further permitting, a final cost estimate review with shippers and a final investment decision by the Kinder Morgan Board of Directors. Construction is planned to start in September 2017, with an expected in-service date in late 2019. There are 15,000 direct construction jobs.
- Additional information on jobs and training opportunities can be found here.
