The Alberta government has postponed a planned announcement on its proposed West Coast oil pipeline, delaying a news conference with Premier Danielle Smith that had been scheduled for Thursday morning.
A new time for the update is expected later in the day.
The proposed pipeline is part of a memorandum of understanding signed last fall between Alberta and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. The agreement outlines plans to advance a new pipeline capable of transporting up to one million barrels of bitumen per day to Canada’s West Coast.
The project is closely linked to Alberta’s proposed carbon capture and storage network, backed by the province’s largest oil producers. Industry leaders have argued they cannot shoulder the multi-billion-dollar cost of the carbon capture infrastructure without additional government support.
The delay comes as Prime Minister Carney travels to Vancouver for talks with British Columbia Premier David Eby, whose government remains firmly opposed to a new oil pipeline to the West Coast.
The pipeline proposal also carries political significance as Alberta prepares for a provincial referendum this fall that includes a question on separation from Canada. Premier Smith has argued that her government’s agreement with Ottawa demonstrates that cooperation within Confederation can address Alberta’s concerns, while separatist advocates contend the deal does not resolve the province’s longstanding grievances.
