Trans Mountain is pushing forward with its initial initiative to enhance the oil flow through its pipeline network connecting Alberta and British Columbia. The government-owned entity has recently sought approval from the Canada Energy Regulator to utilize drag reducing agents (DRA) in order to boost oil transportation capacity by up to 10%. The estimated cost of this project is $9 million, with construction slated to commence in August. Documents filed with the regulator indicate that the project could become operational by January 2027.
The original Trans Mountain pipeline system, established in the 1950s, was expanded with a $34 billion project that commenced oil transport from Edmonton to the Vancouver region in May 2024. Initially, the Crown corporation had planned to explore pipeline capacity enhancements later in the decade. However, the timeline was accelerated due to rising oil production in Alberta and projections that existing export pipelines will reach their limits in the near future.
According to Trans Mountain’s submissions, the DRA Project will not lead to a significant increase in vessel traffic at the Westridge Marine Terminal beyond what was previously evaluated during the Trans Mountain Expansion Project review. Besides the DRA initiative, Trans Mountain is contemplating additional projects like constructing more pumping stations to potentially increase daily oil transportation by an extra 360,000 barrels within the next five years. Currently, the twin pipeline has a capacity of approximately 890,000 barrels per day between Alberta and the west coast of British Columbia.
Drag reducing agents are chemicals utilized to minimize friction within pipelines, offering a cost-effective solution compared to other proposed enhancements. Several proposed expansions to key pipelines, including Trans Mountain, have the potential to substantially elevate the volume of oil exports from Western Canada.