THE TRANS MOUNTAIN EXPANSION
—A SENSIBLE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE
Mike Priaro, P. Eng.
First uploaded November 20, 2018
Submitted by Mike Priaro to the National Energy Board's "Trans Mountain Expansion Project - Reconsideration" hearing as NEB File No. A95912
There is a sensible alternative to the currently proposed routing of the 590,000 bbl/d expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline to Burnaby BC.
That alternative is to twin the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline only to the Sumas BC pump station and then twin the existing 240,000 bbl/d Puget Sound Pipeline from there to cross the border to the refineries and the Cherry Point Marine Terminal on Washington State’s Puget Sound.
Those five refineries have a capacity of 630,000 bbl/d.
It is approx. 70 km, and a contentious crossing of the Fraser River, from Sumas BC to Burnaby BC via the existing Trans Mountain pipeline. It is only half that distance to the Laurel Pump Station in Washington State, with no crossing of the Fraser River required, via the existing Puget Sound Pipeline.
The existing pipeline from Sumas BC to Burnaby BC would continue to batch refined petroleum products from Alberta refineries to a B.C. Lower Mainland and Islands' market of ~200,000 bbl/d, supply the Burnaby refinery with 55,000 bbl/d of crude, and export the remaining crude from the Westridge Marine Terminal. That requires only one-to-two Aframax tanker trips, with about a 500,000 bbl cargo, every 11 days—or only three-to-six Aframax tanker trips per month.
No expansion of the Burnaby Mountain Tank farm or the Westridge Marine Terminal is required and there is no increase in tanker traffic through Vancouver’s harbours and the Salish Sea.
The Cherry Point WA marine terminal near the Ferndale Meter Station has 120 feet of water—sufficient for fully-loaded two-million bbl VLCC oil tankers.
Exports of Canadian crude from Cherry Point in the U.S. would be offset by reduced tanker traffic for imports by tanker of Alaskan and other crudes to the Puget Sound refineries.
While objections are possible from the Democratic Governor and Democratic legislators of Washington State, it must be understood that almost half the coal exports out of Vancouver BC are U.S. coal.
The principle of “Quid Pro Quo” is eminently applicable here.
Mike Priaro, P. Eng.
Calgary
403-281-2156
