Trans Mountain pipeline

"Trans Mountain" redirects here. For other uses, see Trans-mountain (disambiguation).

Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMPL)
Trans Mountain pipeline route from Edmonton to Burnaby
Trans Mountain pipeline route from Edmonton to Burnaby
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta and British Columbia
FromEdmonton, Alberta
ToBurnaby, British Columbia
General information
TypeMultiple product pipelines: crude oil, refined petroleum products such as jet fuel, gasoline, diesel[1]
StatusOperational – twinning completed May 1, 2024
OwnerTrans Mountain Corporation (TMC) (Canada Development Investment Corporation)
Commissioned1951
Technical information
Length1,150 km (710 mi)
Diameter610 mm (24 in)

The Trans Mountain Pipeline System, or simply the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMPL), is a multiple product pipeline system that carries crude and refined products from Edmonton, Alberta, to the coast of British Columbia, Canada.[1][2]

The corporation was created in 1951, construction began in 1952, and operations commenced in 1953. It is the only pipeline to run between these two areas.

The construction of a second pipeline between Hinton, Alberta, and Hargreaves, British Columbia, running adjacent to the existing line, was completed in 2008.[3]

In 2013, a project to twin the existing Trans Mountain pipeline—the Trans Mountain Expansion Project—was proposed to the Canadian National Energy Board.[4] The project was 98% complete, as of 23 January 2024,[5] and began operations on 1 May 2024.[6] The expansion, which runs roughly parallel to the existing pipeline, increased capacity from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day (48,000–141,000 m3/d), at a cost of C$34 billion.[7]

The Trans Mountain Expansion Project was controversial due to its potential environmental impact. It faced legal challenges, as well as challenges from environmentalists and First Nations groups on the grounds of inadequate consultation of the pipeline route passing through unceded indigenous land. A Supreme Court decision on July 2, 2020, that rejected the appeals made by First Nations and environmental groups, "[brought] an end to the years-long legal challenge".[8]

On August 31, 2018, the Government of Canada purchased the pipeline for $4.7 billion[9] from Kinder Morgan through the creation of the Trans Mountain Corporation (TMC), in order to "keep the project alive".[10] TMC is a Crown corporation, a subsidiary of the Canada Development Investment Corporation (CDEV).[11] Until the purchase by CDEV, the Trans Mountain Pipeline was owned by the Houston, Texas–based pipeline operator's Canadian division.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Baum_Marzocco_Hansen_19981004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Who We Are". Trans Mountain. n.d. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference TransMountain_nd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference NEB_20190618 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Varcoe, Chris (January 23, 2024). "Varcoe: 'A long time coming': Trans Mountain pipeline expansion aims to be finished in the coming weeks". Calgary Herald.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reuters was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Trans Mountain expansion project's latest cost estimate has climbed 10%, regulatory filing shows". The Globe and Mail. February 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference CBC_20200702 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Forester, Brett (August 3, 2023). "RCMP cited Standing Rock protests as 'evidence' to create controversial B.C. unit". www.cbc.ca.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Carmichael_20220218 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Trans Mountain - Trans Mountain Corporation: Who We Are".