Trans Mountain is initiating a new project to enhance the oil flow through its pipeline connecting Alberta and British Columbia. The Crown corporation has requested approval from the Canada Energy Regulator to utilize drag reducing agents (DRA) in order to increase oil transportation capacity by up to 10 percent.
The proposed project carries a price tag of $9 million, with construction slated to commence in August, as stated in documents submitted to the regulator. It is anticipated that the project will be operational by January 2027. The original Trans Mountain pipeline, established in the 1950s, has been supplemented by the $34-billion expansion project, which commenced oil transportation from Edmonton to the Vancouver region in May 2024.
While the Crown corporation initially intended to explore pipeline capacity enhancements later in the decade, the timeline was accelerated due to rising oil production in Alberta and the projected saturation of existing export pipelines in the near future. According to Trans Mountain documents, the DRA Project will not lead to an increase in vessel traffic at the Westridge Marine Terminal beyond previous assessments conducted during the Trans Mountain Expansion Project reconsideration.
Trans Mountain is evaluating various projects to bolster oil transportation through its pipeline system, including the potential construction of additional pumping stations that could boost daily oil transport by 360,000 barrels within the next five years. Currently, the twin pipeline has a capacity to transport around 890,000 barrels per day from Alberta to the west coast of British Columbia.
Drag reducing agents are chemicals that minimize friction within pipelines and are considered a cost-effective solution compared to other proposed enhancements to the pipeline infrastructure. Several proposed expansions to major pipelines, like Trans Mountain, have the potential to significantly increase oil export capacity from Western Canada.
