Advertisement

Trans Mountain pipeline could be restarted by end of the week: company

Security cameras are used to monitor the double-fenced perimeter as work continues on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project at the company's Burnaby Terminal tank farm in Burnaby, B.C., on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The company that owns the Trans Mountain pipeline says it remains optimistic the pipeline could be restarted by the end of the week.

Trans Mountain Corp. says it has 350 people working around the clock to restart the pipeline, which has been shut down as a precaution since Nov. 14 due to the flooding in British Columbia.

The company says over the weekend, crews hiked or were airlifted into areas where there is still no road access to inspect the pipe.

READ MORE: Burnaby refinery maintaining fuel supply as Trans Mountain pipeline remains closed

Trans Mountain says there is no indication of any spill from the pipeline. As a precaution, the company has deployed spill-response equipment at control points in river areas near to or downstream from where it is working.

Story continues below advertisement

The Trans Mountain pipeline is a critical piece of energy infrastructure for B.C. and Washington state. This is the longest period the pipeline has been shut down in its nearly 70-year history.

Click to play video: 'B.C. imposes restrictions on gasoline, limits non-essential travel in flooding aftermath'
B.C. imposes restrictions on gasoline, limits non-essential travel in flooding aftermath

Enbridge Inc. also temporarily shut down a segment of one of two pipelines that make up its Westcoast natural gas pipeline last week due to the heavy flooding in B.C.

READ MORE: B.C. requests access to secure gas reserves in United States

Enbridge says it was able to maintain natural gas service in spite of the event and has since increased capacity on the system. It says the Westcoast pipeline is now transporting 1.63 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, above 100 per cent of total contracted volume transported last year at this time.

Canadian Pacific Railway Co. announced Monday that it will reopen its railway between Kamloops, B.C. and Vancouver by mid-day Tuesday, Nov. 23. CP says crews have been working around the clock since Nov. 14 to repair 30 locations across CP’s Thompson and Cascade subdivisions that were damaged in the flooding.

Advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices