Trans Mountain Corp. is gearing up for a series of expansion projects to boost its main pipeline capacity to 1.19 million barrels a day by the end of the decade, a critical move as export space for Canadian oil producers tightens once again.
Starting in the first quarter of 2027, the government-owned company plans to inject chemicals into its 890,000-barrel-a-day pipeline, linking Alberta’s oilsands to the British Columbia coast. This will accelerate crude flow, adding 90,000 barrels a day to the system. Further projects include dredging under the Second Narrows Bridge near Vancouver, with a final investment decision expected this summer and work slated for the fall. That initiative, set to be operational by the second quarter of 2027, will increase oil tanker capacity by 30% at the terminal.
Additional expansions are on the horizon. By 2029, Trans Mountain aims to install nearly a dozen new pump stations, replace 30 kilometers of pipe, and enhance electric power to a remote section in British Columbia. A separate project will add 35,000 barrels a day to a line feeding into Washington state by the same year. These efforts build on a pipeline that tripled its capacity from 300,000 barrels a day just two years ago, though at a staggering cost of $34 billion—six times the initial budget.
The urgency for more capacity is clear. Canadian oil export volumes are projected to outstrip pipeline space for a brief period this summer and consistently by mid-2026, according to Rystad Energy’s Susan Bell. Utilization of the current line already hit 96% in November, per Canada Energy Regulator data, a sharp contrast to years of undercapacity that saw Canadian heavy crude discounted by as much as US$50 a barrel to West Texas Intermediate in 2018, compared to US$14 now.
Geopolitical tailwinds add to the pipeline’s strategic value. With 60% of its tanker exports now heading to Asia, Trans Mountain is reducing Canada’s reliance on U.S. markets amid Middle East conflicts and U.S. actions on Venezuela, diversifying options for global producers and consumers.
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