Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline restarted operations on Dec. 5, weeks after shutting down during a record-breaking rainstorm in British Columbia that washed out road and railways, Trans Mountain Corp. said in a statement.
The pipeline, owned by the Canadian government and which was closed on Nov. 15 as a precaution, ships 300,000 bbl/d of crude oil and refined products from Alberta to the Pacific Coast.
Trans Mountain said that throughout the shutdown, the pipeline was safe and there was “no indication of any product release or serious damage to the pipe.”
The pipeline restarted on Dec. 5 during daylight hours, after final repair work and assessments.
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Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline Shut Down Due to Storms
Early last week, the operator had said it was “still days away” from restarting the key oil pipeline at a reduced capacity as heavy rains continued to impede restoration efforts.
Heavy rains and flooding are causing widespread disruption across Canada’s westernmost province. Landslides have trapped people in vehicles on highways, and the entire town of Merritt, with a population of 7,000 people, has been ordered to evacuate.
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.
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