Canada’s US$23bn Trans Mountain oil pipeline extension delayed by ‘technical issues’

The aim of the controversial project is to triple the flow of crude oil from Alberta to the Pacific Coast of Canada. According to an update from Trans Mountain in 2022, work had reached the half-way mark and was due to be complete by the third quarter of 2023.

Work involves multiple contractors along 980km of new pipeline running alongside the original built in the 1950s, along with 193km of reactivated pipeline and 12 new pump stations.

By 3 January 2024, government-owned Trans Mountain said it hoped to begin filling the pipeline in March or May. But in its latest update, it said the in-service date would be at some point in the second quarter of this year.

Trans Mountain said in a statement, “During the pipeline pullback activity for the Mountain 3 Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) between January 25 and 27, 2024, Trans Mountain encountered technical issues which will result in additional time to determine the safest and most prudent actions for minimizing further delay.

“Trans Mountain is fully focused on the completion of the pipeline and will not be providing interviews at this time as it works towards the anticipated in-service date in the second quarter of 2024.”