The Canada Energy Regulator has denied a request by Trans Mountain Corp. for a variance on a section of pipeline in B.C. Workers lay pipe during construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on farmland, in Abbotsford, B.C., Wednesday, May 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
CALGARY – The Canada Energy Regulator has denied a request by Trans Mountain Corp. for a variance on a section of pipeline in B.C.
The Crown corporation had previously warned that if its request for a variance wasn’t granted, it may not be able to complete the Trans Mountain expansion project in time for an anticipated first-quarter 2024 start date.
Trans Mountain Corp. had said it had run into construction issues in B.C. that would require it to use a different diameter, wall thickness and coating for a 2,300 metre section of pipeline.
At a recent oral hearing, Trans Mountain Corp. said that being denied the variance could add an additional 55 to 60 days to the project’s construction schedule.
The Canada Energy Regulator says it will issue its reasons for denying the variance at a later date.
Several oil shippers who use the Trans Mountain pipeline had expressed concerns about the possibility of a potential delay in the pipeline’s start date.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2023.
