Canada’s Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal from British Columbia First Nation groups against expanding the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, Kallanish Energy reports.
The court in Ottawa, Ontario, has dismissed appeals from four First Nation groups, effectively ending the year-long legal battle over the project.
The court gave no reason for its decision.
Work has started on the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion in British Columbia and construction is also underway in neighboring Alberta.
The cost of the pipeline expansion project remains $12.6 billion with service expected by the end of 2022.
In 2018, the Canadian federal government purchased the existing pipeline for $4.5 billion (Canadian) from Kinder Morgan Canada with plans to expand the pipeline, a $9.3 billion (Canadian) project.
Ottawa intends to complete the 715-mile expansion and then sell the pipeline to other parties.
The pipeline expansion would run from Edmonton, Alberta, to Burnaby, British Columbia.
The new line will be built parallel to the existing line for crude and refined oil. The expansion would nearly triple capacity to 890,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta’s oil sands.
The current oil pipeline transports about 300,000 barrels per day.
This post appeared first on Kallanish Energy News.