OTTAWA, Oct 2 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- The Canadian government on Thursday designated a proposed West Coast oil pipeline, now named Pacific Link, as a project of national interest, a move aimed at reducing reliance on the United States and expanding energy exports to other markets, reported Xinhua.
The roughly 1,250-km pipeline would run from Bruderheim, Alberta, to a deepwater port near Delta, British Columbia, adding up to 1 million barrels per day of oil export capacity.
The project is the first to receive a national interest designation under the Building Canada Act. The designation allows it to undergo a streamlined federal regulatory review.
The pipeline would follow a southern route designed to avoid sensitive marine ecosystems along British Columbia's North Coast. The project is estimated to cost between C$35.2 billion and C$43.7 billion (about US$25.8 billion to US$32 billion).
Canada has the world's fourth largest proven oil reserves but remains heavily dependent on the US market. More than 90 per cent of Canadian crude oil exports went to the United States in 2025.
The government said Pacific Link, together with improvements to the existing Trans Mountain pipeline system, could reduce Canada's dependence on U.S.-bound pipeline capacity from about 82-83 per cent in 2025 to 65-70 per cent.
The project is also expected to narrow the price differential between Western Canadian Select and West Texas Intermediate crude by US$3 to US$5 per barrel, according to a government explanatory note.
--BERNAMA-XINHUA