Trans Mountain Expansion Blues

摘要

At first glance,the Trans Mountain Expansion Project appears to be the latest pipeline to enter political limbo.The project was ap-proved,and then it wasn't.Recent events,however,indicate that the project is headed toward resuming construction.But first,a little backstory.The Trans Mountain pipeline was developed by Kinder Morgan's Canadian division more than 65 years ago.The pipeline was established on March 21,1951,when the Canadian Parliament granted the company a charter.The pipeline went into service on Oct.17,1953,with the first shipment of oil reaching the Burnaby Terminal in British Columbia.Trans Mountain has served as a key transportation link between the Alberta oil sands and the West Coast ever since.Trans Mountain is currently North America's only direct access to western tidewaters for export,according to spokesperson Ali Hounsell.The pipeline is also rare in that it provides batched service,transporting crude oil and refined products from Alberta to the coast for local use and export to Washington state,California and destinations beyond.