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Canada pipeline capture set to return in spite of Trans Mountain start-up

As Canada's oil market celebrates the start of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX), some company executives and experts are currently cautioning that longterm production growth strategies will depend on new takeaway capability becoming available.

TMX, which started business operations recently after years of hold-ups, will ship an extra 590,0000 barrels daily ( bpd) of oil from Alberta to the Pacific Coast. Committed carriers have scheduled area on 80% of the pipeline, leaving 20%. readily available to identify shipments.

The expansion provides Canada, the world's fourth-largest. oil manufacturer, with ample pipeline area for the first time in. over a decade and has actually helped lift benchmark heavy oil costs.

Canada produced 4.9 million bpd of oil in 2023, of which a. record 4.5 million bpd originated from Alberta. Thanks to TMX the. market now has nearly 5.3 million bpd of pipeline capability,. according to Canada Energy Regulator.

Manufacturers are forging ahead with oil output expansion. plans that will rapidly fill the unused area.

TMX is the single biggest capability addition in one shot in. over a decade however it looks unlikely to fix the egress issue on. its own, said Kevin Birn, chief analyst of Canadian oil markets. at S&P Global Commodity Insights.

There's a lot potential (in Canada) but all the basic. essential truths of the marketplace have not altered.

Canadian manufacturers might add 300,000-500,000 bpd of oil in. 2024 alone, making Canada among the world's largest sources of. supply development, according to TD Securities estimates.

Lots of experts expect this will be the last oil pipeline ever. integrated in Canada. Regulative difficulties and environmental. opposition, they say, will impede some of the more enthusiastic. growth proposals detailed by companies including Canadian. Natural Resources Ltd and the Alberta government.

WORLD'S THIRD-LARGEST RESERVES

Canada's oil reserves are huge: the third-largest in the. world, mostly consisted of vast bitumen deposits scattered below. the boreal forest and peat bogs of northern Alberta.

This year Alberta premier Danielle Smith said she wishes to. double the province's oil and gas production.

But unlike leading U.S. shale-producing areas where pipeline. firms overbuilt capacity, development in Alberta has actually long been. restricted by just how much oil can move out of the landlocked province.

On earnings calls over the previous two weeks, some producers. including Suncor Energy and Imperial Oil. reported brand-new oil sands production records. Companies also described. plans to increase output further through steps such as including. new well pads at optimizing and existing thermal tasks. operations at mine websites.

TMX's start-up will make it possible for Alberta and Suncor production. growth and lower the discount on Canadian crude, said Dave. Oldreive, Suncor's executive vice president of downstream, on a. Wednesday earnings call.

Canadian Natural, the country's biggest oil and gas company. with 1.3 million barrels of oil equivalent each day (boepd) of. output, recently stated it is considering a 195,000 bpd expansion. of bitumen production at its Horizon oil sands mine. Horizon. presently has capacity to produce about 255,000 bpd of synthetic. crude oil, updated from bitumen.

But Canadian Natural President Scott Stauth stated that would. hinge on brand-new pipeline export capacity and federal government financial. assistance for minimizing carbon emissions.

That fiscal policy is definitely key for us to be able to. move any additional growth volumes forward, Stauth said on. an earnings call last week. Likewise crucial in regards to that. would be securing and working on improving egress capacity.

Rival Cenovus Energy is planning to grow production. by 150,000 bpd, or 19%, over the next three to 4 years.

CEO Jon McKenzie invited TMX and its favorable effect on. crude prices, however stated Canada's spare pipeline capacity would. likely disappear within five years.

As a market, we have a history of filling up excess. egress, and I believe that will occur through time, McKenzie. stated on an earnings call.

(source: Reuters)