Saturday, September 28, 2024 
Saturday, September 28, 2024
May 11, 2020
Construction will soon ramp up on the expansion of the Trans Mountain oil export pipeline, including the installation of pipe in British Columbia where opposition to the project has been loudest.
The multi-billion dollar project is owned by the federal government and will transport oil from Edmonton to the Vancouver area. A lack of new export pipelines has been a problem for the oilpatch for several years and is a reason for limits on Alberta’s oil output.
For a sector in the midst of historically low oil prices and layoffs, progress on pipeline projects like Trans Mountain provides some much needed optimism.
Contractors began installing pipe in Alberta late last year and the first section of the pipeline, near Edmonton, is 60 per cent complete, according to the company.
Crews are taking a brief hiatus for a period dubbed “spring breakup,” when the ground is too muddy and soft to move heavy equipment. So far, about 42 kilometres of pipe is in the ground, all of which is in Alberta.
Next month, the company expects to break ground along the 1,147-kilometre route and begin pipeline construction near Kamloops, B.C.
The exact path through the Lower Mainland area around Vancouver may still change as detailed route hearings are underway by the Canada Energy Regulator. Such hearings typically deal with specific routing issues, like area-specific tree removal or road crossings.
Trans Mountain officials expect construction to be underway along every section of the pipeline route by the end of the year.
“We are pleased where we are at,” said spokesperson Ali Hounsell. “We are on track and it is a challenging time for everyone but we’ve managed to, together with our contractors, be able to ensure we are meeting all the health and safety requirements.”
The portion of the pipeline route west of Edmonton is relatively straightforward on flat prairie land. As contractors begin work on the other side of the provincial border, they will face a variety of different challenges such as navigating the Rocky Mountains, crossing the Fraser River, and working in populated areas of the Lower Mainland.
Check out the video gallery here
