In the afternoon of December 5, the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) denied a request submitted by Trans Mountain Corporation (TMC), the federally owned organization that is building the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion (TMX), that will result in the start up of the expansion being delayed by an additional 55 to 60 days from 1Q 2024 into 2Q 2024.
In terms of specifics, TMC had submitted what is known as a “variance application” to the CER requesting the installation of smaller diameter pipeline (30”) rather than the planned diameter (36”) owing to unexpected difficulties in tunneling through rock in a short section of the pipeline’s right-of-way. TMC made clear in its request that if the installation of the original pipeline diameter were to proceed, a delay of 55 to 60 days for completion of the expansion was likely owing to challenges in tunneling to the required diameter to accommodate the original 36” diameter pipeline installation. The section in question is located in southern British Columbia (BC) between Hope and Chilliwack (red dashed oval in map below) and extends approximately 2,300 meters (~7,500 feet).
