The Trans Mountain pipeline enlargement is dealing with delay but once more, as the corporate answerable for constructing the undertaking reported Monday it has run right into a recent construction-related problem in B.C.
Right here’s a glance again on the historical past of the undertaking, and the milestones and setbacks it has skilled to this point:
March 21, 1951: The Trans Mountain Pipeline Firm is established by way of a constitution granted by the Parliament of Canada, with the intent of constructing a pipeline to hold oil from Alberta to the West Coast.
Oct. 17, 1953: The primary cargo of oil reaches the Trans Mountain Burnaby Terminal, following a feat of engineering that noticed the development and completion of the pipeline in simply 30 months.
Feb. 21, 2012: The Canadian division of U.S. pipeline big Kinder Morgan Inc., which purchased the Trans Mountain pipeline in 2005, broadcasts it intends to develop the pipeline after receiving help from Canadian oil shippers.
Dec. 16, 2013: Kinder Morgan Canada formally information to the then-Nationwide Power Board for regulatory approval for the undertaking, which can almost triple the pipeline’s capability from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day. The corporate pegs the capital price of the undertaking at $5.4 billion.
November 2014: A whole bunch of Indigenous and environmental protesters who oppose the proposed pipeline enlargement are arrested for interfering with preliminary drilling and survey work going down on Burnaby Mountain in B.C. A lot of the costs are later dropped.
Might 29, 2016: The NEB recommends approval of the pipeline, topic to 157 situations, concluding that it’s within the public curiosity.
Nov. 29, 2016: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broadcasts his cupboard has permitted the Trans Mountain undertaking, topic to 157 situations geared toward addressing potential Indigenous, socio-economic and environmental impacts. The Trudeau authorities additionally approves Enbridge’s Line 3 undertaking, however rejects the Enbridge-backed Northern Gateway undertaking.
Might 25, 2017: Kinder Morgan broadcasts its remaining funding determination, saying it can proceed with the Trans Mountain pipeline enlargement so long as it secures passable financing for the undertaking by its preliminary public providing.
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Jan. 17, 2018: Kinder Morgan Canada warns the Trans Mountain enlargement undertaking could possibly be a 12 months delayed. The corporate says the undertaking, which is now estimated to price $7.4 billion, is taking a look at a December 2020 in-service date. The corporate additionally warns that if the undertaking continues to face unreasonable regulatory danger, together with opposition from the B.C. NDP authorities, it might not proceed in any respect.
Jan. 30, 2018: B.C. authorities strikes to limit any enhance in diluted bitumen shipments till it conducts extra spill response research, a transfer that will increase the uncertainty for Trans Mountain.
April 8, 2018: Kinder Morgan Canada suspends non-essential spending on the Trans Mountain enlargement undertaking and units a Might 31 deadline to achieve agreements with stakeholders.
Might 29, 2018: The federal authorities broadcasts a deal to purchase the pipeline and enlargement undertaking from Kinder Morgan Canada for $4.5 billion.
November 2019: Development begins within the Edmonton space.
Feb. 7, 2020: Trans Mountain CEO Ian Anderson broadcasts that the price of constructing the pipeline enlargement has soared from an preliminary estimate of $7.4 billion to $12.6 billion, as a result of elevated materials and labour prices, authorized prices and elevated Indigenous consultations.
Feb. 18, 2022: Trans Mountain Corp. hikes the estimated price of the undertaking to $21.4 billion, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and flooding in B.C. in addition to different components, and pushes again the projected completion date to the third quarter of 2023. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland vows the federal authorities will put no extra public cash towards the undertaking.
June 2022: A report from the Parliamentary Funds Officer concludes the federal authorities stands to lose cash from its funding within the pipeline, and means that if the undertaking had been cancelled now, the federal government would want to write down off greater than $14 billion in belongings.
March 10, 2023: Trans Mountain Corp., now headed by CEO Daybreak Farrell following the retirement of Ian Anderson, pegs the brand new price of the undertaking at $30.9 billion. Development is now 80 per cent full, and the corporate says the pipeline will probably be in service within the first quarter of 2024.
August 2023: Trans Mountain Corp. applies to the Canada Power Regulator for permission to change the route and building methodology for a 1.3-kilometre stretch of pipeline in B.C., saying it has run into engineering difficulties associated to the drilling of a tunnel. The appliance is opposed by the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation, whose conventional territory the pipeline crosses and who had solely agreed to the initially proposed route and building methodology.
Sept. 25, 2023: The Canada Power Regulator approves Trans Mountain Corp.’s utility to change the pipeline’s route, sparing the undertaking from what the pipeline firm had warned could possibly be a nine-month delay if its request was not granted.
Oct. 31, 2023: Trans Mountain Corp. applies to the Canada Power Regulator for a pipeline variance, saying it desires permission to alter the diameter, wall thickness and coating of a 2.3-kilometre phase of the pipeline as a result of difficulties drilling into exhausting rock in B.C.
Dec. 5, 2023: The Canada Regulator denies that request over issues about pipeline high quality and integrity.
Dec. 14, 2023: Trans Mountain asks the regulator to rethink and warns of a probably “catastrophic” two-year delay for the undertaking if a variance just isn’t granted and it’s pressured to proceed with its authentic building plans.
Jan. 12, 2024: After an oral listening to in Calgary, the Canada Power Regulator agrees to grant Trans Mountain a pipeline variance. It imposes quite a lot of situations associated to pipeline testing and documentation necessities.
Jan. 29, 2024: Trans Mountain Corp. points a press release on its web site that it has run into “technical points” throughout building work within the Fraser Valley between Hope and Chilliwack, B.C. and wishes extra time to find out the “most secure and most prudent actions for minimizing additional delay.” The corporate says it’s now aiming for an in-service date within the second quarter of 2024.
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