Westcoast Pipeline
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Natural gas pipeline |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Founder | Frank McMahon |
| Headquarters | Canada |
Area served | British Columbia, Canada; Northwestern United States |
| Products | Natural gas transportation |
| Parent | Enbridge (since 2017) |
The Westcoast Pipeline, frequently referred to as the Westcoast Transmission System or the BC Pipeline, is a natural gas conduit located in British Columbia. It transports natural gas extracted from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin to the heavily populated Lower Mainland area, including Vancouver. This pipeline links with the Northwest Pipeline in the United States and extends eastward to connect with the TransCanada pipeline. Established in 1957 by Frank McMahon's company, Westcoast Transmission Co. Ltd., this 650-mile infrastructure stretching from Taylor to the U.S. marked Canada’s inaugural large-diameter "big-inch" pipeline.
Between 2002 and 2007, ownership was under Duke Energy, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2007, Duke Energy spun off its natural gas assets into a new entity called Spectra Energy, which subsequently merged with Enbridge in 2017. This merger formed a major energy infrastructure corporation with a broad portfolio of upcoming projects.
On October 9, 2018, an explosion occurred near Prince George, prompting the evacuation of approximately 100 individuals from the Lheidli T'enneh Band. While no injuries or damage to properties aside from the pipeline itself were reported, the incident led to natural gas shortages across British Columbia. The following year, the affected First Nation initiated legal action seeking to suspend Enbridge’s operations on their territory and demanding the removal of the pipeline along with environmental remediation.
Enbridge has introduced a "reliability and expansion program" that includes replacing and adding compressor stations as well as other system enhancements. This project is designed to increase pipeline throughput by per day and aims for completion by late 2021.