Moe approves of possible revival of Canada-U.S. pipeline project

Premier Scott Moe says expanded pipeline capacity would boost jobs, energy security, and market access for Canadian oil producers. Jacob Carr reports.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order authorizing a proposed project to transport Canadian oil across the border as part of an effort to revive parts of the cancelled Keystone XL pipeline.

The Canadian pipeline company behind the cancelled Keystone XL pipeline, South Bow, is partnering with U.S. company Bridger Pipeline on the proposed project.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the project’s potential revival is good news.

“Expanded pipeline capacity helps strengthen energy security, supports jobs and improves market access for Canadian producers,” Moe said in a post to social media Friday.

“We will continue to support infrastructure that connects our resources to reliable markets and drives economic growth for Saskatchewan people.”

Moe reiterated his longstanding views that expanding Canadian oil production is essential in providing energy security for the world and crucial for the goal of Canada becoming a “global energy superpower.”

Brian Zinchuk, former pipeline builder and current Pipeline Online editor and owner also wants to see the Keystone Pipeline moving forward.

“I first started writing about Keystone XL around 2008. So here we are 18 years later, and it finally might see some progress to see this actually happen in a different form than the original, but still, it is a new export pipeline to the U.S. so there’s great benefits of that,” he said.

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“What we find is that when we build new pipelines, we rapidly build the capacity to fill those pipelines, which means more oil wells, more oil sands, it means that our economy grows,” he added.

In a statement to CTV News, South Bow said it is continuing to evaluate the “Prairie Connection project” which would leverage “existing infrastructure and permitted corridors to improve market access for Canadian crude oil.”

“The concept behind the Prairie Connector project is to move crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta to the Canada-U.S. border, where it could connect with downstream pipeline systems,” the statement read.

According to South Bow, the project remains in early stages and is subject to “ongoing commercial, stakeholder and rightsholder discussions, regulatory processes and evaluation.”