Alberta proposes $35.2B to $43.7B West Coast pipeline project to Asia markets
The pipeline corridor would run 1,200 to 1,250 kilometres from Bruderheim to Roberts Bank, with completion expected between 2032 and 2034.
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Alberta has formally proposed a major oil pipeline to the Pacific Northwest, with Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing the project Thursday evening in Calgary.
The West Coast pipeline would carry more than one million barrels of oil per day from Bruderheim, northeast of Edmonton, to Roberts Bank Terminal in Delta, B.C., for tanker export to Asian markets. The project is a partnership between the Alberta government, federally-owned Trans Mountain Corp., and Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corp. as the private proponent.
The estimated cost is $35.2 billion to $43.7 billion, including contingencies, with completion expected between 2032 and 2034. Two routing options are proposed: an "original corridor" and an "optimized corridor." The original route would have roughly 92 per cent of the pipeline within 100 metres of existing infrastructure or already-disturbed land; the optimized route drops to 82 per cent.
Premier Smith said the southern route — following the existing Trans Mountain corridor — offers key advantages, including established relationships with Indigenous communities and faster access to market. The project is expected to support Alberta's goal to double oil production to eight million barrels per day over the next 10 to 15 years.
The announcement comes the same day Ottawa signed a multibillion-dollar memorandum of understanding with British Columbia that included commitment to maintain the North Coast oil tanker ban, which has prohibited oil tanker traffic off northern B.C. waters to protect environmentally sensitive coastlines.
Alberta's submission anticipates the project will pass through traditional territories of approximately 90 to 125 Indigenous communities and cross nine to 11 First Nations reserves in B.C. Early work is planned to begin as soon as October 2027, including finalizing routes, engaging Indigenous groups, and securing permits. Peak construction is expected to create as many as 140,000 jobs in the early 2030s, with about 50,000 ongoing positions during operations.
