A proposal by Kinder Morgan to double its Trans Mountain Pipeline through the North Thompson Valley has taken another step forward.
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. announced Tuesday that the commitments received through Kinder Morgan Canada's recent open season support moving forward with the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline system expansion. The expansion open season, held between Oct. 20, 2011, and Feb. 16, 2012, received strong binding commercial support from a diverse group of customers.
"The response to our open season was very encouraging," said Ian Anderson, president of Kinder Morgan Canada. "The strong support received through this process will now allow us to complete initial project design and planning. We are looking forward to engaging in dialogue with First Nations, interested stakeholders and communities along the pipeline. The final decision on the proposed project will be known by the end of the first quarter of this year."
The expansion open season was based on a 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity design, up from the existing 300,000 bpd capacity. The proposed expansion is anticipated to cost approximately $3.8 billion.
The 1,150-km Trans Mountain pipeline system runs from Edmonton to Burnaby. It has been operating for 60 years, providing the only West Coast market access for Canadian oil products, including about 90 percent of the gasoline supplied to the Lower Mainland.