Skip to main content

Trans Mountain oil pipeline returns to normal operating pressure

Construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline is seen under way in Kamloops, B.C., Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. (Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward) Construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline is seen under way in Kamloops, B.C., Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. (Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Share

The Trans Mountain pipeline returned to normal operating pressure on Saturday, it said in a statement, after functioning at reduced pressure for over a month.

The Canadian government-owned oil pipeline, which ships 300,000 barrels a day of crude oil and refined products from Alberta to the Pacific Coast, was operating at a reduced capacity since Dec. 5 and was closed for 21 days prior to that after November's record-breaking rainstorm in British Columbia.

Trans Mountain is a key oil export route and nearly two-thirds of its volumes in the first half of 2021 were light oil deliveries heading to U.S. refineries, said IHS Market Vice President Kevin Birn, citing Canada Energy Regulator data.

A phenomenon known as an atmospheric river had dumped a month's worth of rain in two days during mid-November in the Canadian province of British Columbia, causing massive floods, landslides, and road shutdowns, prompting forced closure of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

(Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high

The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.

DEVELOPING

DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk

The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.

Local Spotlight

Stay Connected