TRANS MOUNTAIN EXPANSION TO BURNABY UNNECESSARY
Mike Priaro, P. Eng.
First uploaded April 11, 2019
The Trans Mountain pipeline's Puget Sound extension begs to be expanded for Alberta crude to make up for decreasing Alaska production and to displace imports of foreign crude—thereby eliminating much tanker traffic in the Salish Sea—and makes expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline to Burnaby unnecessary.
Washington State, which produces no oil, has five refineries with a combined capacity of 638,000 bbl/d.
In 2018, industry consultant S&P Platts reports it imported:
• Crude by tanker: 262,000 bbl/d, or 44% of the total, most from Alaska and foreign countries the rest from Canada.
• Crude by rail: 184,000 bbl/d, about 31% of the total, 90% of which was light oil from the Bakken of North Dakota, the remainder from Alberta.
• Crude by pipeline: 152,000* bbl/d, about 25% of the total, from Canada through the Trans Mountain Pipeline.
*Note that the chart in the article by energy industry consultant S&P Platts incorrectly reports 81,050 bbl/d from Canada flowing through the Puget Sound extension of the Trans Mountain pipeline to Puget Sound refineries. It appears he pipeline and vessel crude volumes from Canada were switched.
According to Canada’s NEB, the flow though the Sumas B.C. export meter actually averaged 152,080 bbl/d in 2018, 166,750 bbl/d in 2017, and 190,670 bbl/d in 2016.
Bottom line: The Puget Sound extension begs to be expanded for Alberta crude to make up for decreasing Alaska production and to displace imports of foreign crude—thereby eliminating much tanker traffic in the Salish Sea—and makes expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline to Burnaby unnecessary.
Any remaining oil can be exported by tanker from the Cherry Point WA terminals.
Mike Priaro, P. Eng.
Calgary
403-281-2156
