A pipe yard servicing government-owned oil pipeline operator Trans Mountain is seen in Kamloops, B.C., on June 7.JENNIFER GAUTHIER/Reuters
The Trans Mountain pipeline has restarted after a three-week precautionary shutdown during a series of storms that battered southern British Columbia, causing extensive flooding and landslides.
Trans Mountain Corp. says in a statement the pipeline was safely restarted Sunday after all necessary assessments and repairs were completed.
It says some of that work included the construction of “protective earthworks” after flooding exposed sections of the 1,150-kilometre pipeline that carries 300,000 barrels a day of petroleum products from Alberta to B.C.
Trans Mountain, a federal Crown corporation, says it’s monitoring the pipeline on the ground, by air and through its control centre after the restart.
It says additional work in the coming weeks will include the “armouring of riverbanks” and adding ground cover or relocating sections of the pipeline.
The B.C. government had asked residents to limit their fuel purchases to 30 litres each visit to a gas station until Dec. 14 in response to the shutdown, and there’s no immediate word on when the rationing order will be lifted.
Trans Mountain is the only pipeline in North America that carries both oil and refined products, and the shutdown was the longest in its history.
Your time is valuable. Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox in the morning or evening. Sign up today.