Canada moves ahead with new Alberta-to-Pacific pipeline to boost Asian oil exports
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a proposed pipeline route through southern British Columbia that would carry over a million barrels of oil daily to the Pacific coast, aiming to expand non-U.S. markets while keeping the northern tanker ban.
Canada announced plans on Thursday for a new oil pipeline that would run from Bruderheim in Alberta to the southern coast of British Columbia, delivering more than one million barrels per day to tankers bound for Asian markets. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the route would use the existing Trans Mountain corridor and help reduce the price discount on Canadian crude sold to the United States.
"The best route for a new pipeline is one that goes through one that already exists south through the Trans Mountain corridor, to our Pacific Coast, the gateway to the world’s fastest growing markets," Carney said in Calgary. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province will partner with the federally owned Trans Mountain Corporation and Pembina Pipeline on the project, which she described as a "nation-building" effort that could unlock wealth and opportunity. "The world is asking Canada to step up and provide stable, democratic and reliable energy supply that countries around the world are looking for," Smith said. The proposal keeps the existing ban on oil tankers off northern British Columbia intact, a position supported by British Columbia Premier David Eby, who said the northern tanker ban will remain in place. Carney also said the federal government would compensate British Columbia for any environmental risks associated with a southern route. The plan follows the recently expanded Trans Mountain pipeline, which since 2024 has shipped a majority of its Pacific-coast crude to Asia, helping Canada diversify its export markets despite the United States remaining its largest crude buyer.
