Loading two million barrels of oil into a VLCC cuts about U$300,000 in direct costs—or U$0.20/bbl—according to Braemar ACM compared with loading four Aframax-size vessels limited to 500,000 barrels each by shallow water under the Second Narrows bridge from the Westridge marine terminal for the Trans Mountain pipeline. Loading VLCCs also reduces the loading timeline to one day from the four days that would be needed at the Westridge terminal.

That doesn't include the extra costs of chartering four smaller tankers when one would do.

At a Prince Rupert terminal, two million barrel VLCCs could be loaded with the most direct and safe access to the high seas of any potential oil port on Canada's west coast.

At Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Westridge terminal, four times as many trips would be required, each carrying 17.5 million Imp. gal. of dilbit under the Second Narrows bridges, through Vancouver’s busy harbour, under the Lions Gate bridge, past Stanley Park, down the Salish Sea past Roberts Bank and the ferry terminal, and then through narrow Boundary Pass and Haro Strait between the idyllic Canadian and U.S. Gulf Islands, past the beautiful city of Victoria and along the U.S. Olympic Peninsula and down the length of the Strait of Juan de Fuca before finally reaching open seas.

That's a risky, high-liability, game of Russian roulette in very busy waters, narrow passages, and crowded surroundings from the worst location for an oil terminal on Canada's west coast according to the report: POTENTIAL PACIFIC COAST OIL PORTS—A COMPARATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ANALYSIS, Fisheries and Environment Canada, Vancouver, February 1978. Table 8.1.2 from the report is appended (Note: Port Moody is adjacent to the Westridge terminal).

Between the metropolitan areas of Vancouver/Victoria and Seattle/Tacoma, seven million people live on or near waters of the Salish Sea.

Mike Priaro, P.Eng.

Calgary

403-281-2156

APPENDIX