The Canadian National Energy Board (NEB) has approved the construction works of the CAD7.4bn (US$5.8bn) Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project on the Burnaby Mountain tunnel entrance (Canada). However, construction is not yet authorized along the rest of the pipeline route and only 56% of the entire pipeline project have been approved by the NEB so far. The current commissioning date has already been delayed by nine months and is now expected by 2019; it could be delayed again until 2020 due to the lack of clarity regarding municipal permit processes and related judicial process.
The expansion project would twin the existing Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which transports approximately 300,000 bbl/d of crude oil and refined petroleum products from the oil sands deposits in Alberta to Vancouver (British Columbia) and to the Washington State (United States). The proposed expansion project would significantly increase crude tanker traffic off the Canadian west coast up to 890,000 bbl/d.