Canada's Pipeline Boom: New Projects Aim for Nearly Three Million Barrels Per Day
Canada is on the cusp of another significant period for pipeline development, with new and reworked projects aiming to increase oil transportation capacity by nearly three million barrels per day. This surge in potential capacity comes after years of focus on completing the Trans Mountain Expansion.
The biggest proposal is the New West Coast Oil Pipeline, a 1,250-kilometre line that would transport one million barrels per day from Alberta to a new deepwater marine terminal in southern British Columbia. The project is being advanced by Alberta and the federal government and could begin construction as early as September 2027.
Trans Mountain is also working on optimization projects to increase its existing system's capacity, with plans to add up to 300,000 barrels per day without building a new pipeline. This expansion would bring the total system capacity to approximately 1.19 million barrels per day by the end of 2028.
Another project, the Northern Shield Alberta-to-Ontario Pipeline, aims to transport western Canadian crude east through an all-Canadian route, initially carrying around 500,000 barrels per day and potentially expanding to 800,000 barrels per day. This pipeline would improve domestic energy security and supply Ontario refineries.