Project Description

This immense project consisted of the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline from Strathcona County (Edmonton, AB) to the City of Burnaby, B.C. The expansion consists of approximately 980km of new pipeline, and nineteen additional storage tanks at existing facilities.

In 2024, its first year of operations, the project increased the nominal storage capacity of the pipeline from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day. RAM’s scope covered Spread 7, which ranges from the Township of Langley, through Surrey, Coquitlam, and Burnaby, and concludes at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Our Role

RAM was retained by Trans Mountain to conduct the following services in the Lower Mainland, British Columbia:

Spread 6, 7A, 7B Land Acquisitions for Langley, Surrey, Coquitlam, Burnaby, Metro Vancouver, and TransLink:

• Negotiating municipal agreements with City of Coquitlam, City of Surrey, and City of Burnaby;
• Liaising/obtaining agreements with project stakeholders and utility owners such as Metro Vancouver, TransLink, and Ministry of Transportation;
• Engaging private landowners and Indigenous parties to negotiate Landowner Agreements;
• Coordinating TMP LP’s sub consultants to submit design crossing packages for review and approval;
• Serving as construction owner representative;
• Chairing reoccurring meetings and holding site meetings to ensure and maintain positive relationship with third parties;
• Engaging members of the local community by facilitating and coordinating relationships with select private landowners who had more complex needs and requirements;
• Facilitating and reviewing select contractor permits.

Spread 7A Engineering Support for Surrey Multi-User Pathway:

• Completing the restoration grade design for the North Slope MUP.

Spread 7B Westridge Marine Terminal Interim Occupancy Documentation Review:

• Reviewing acceptance documentation for interim occupancy permits from VFPA.

TMEP Fiber on the Pipe Projects providing full design, project management, permitting and construction management support for the following projects:

• Port Kells
• Clearwater Town
• Raft River
• Mountain 3
• Coldwater 4
• Dry Gulch

Project Challenges

RAM successfully overcame and negotiated obstacles during this complex, large-scale endeavour.  Some examples were as follows:

• Separate crossing agreements were required for all affected municipalities, as each municipality had specific requirements (e.g., liability clauses, indemnity clauses, compensation for lands, early works access);
• The number of crossings and land access requirements varied for each municipality, which impacted the details of all agreements (e.g., compensation and restoration requirements);
• The complexity of agreements involved multiple levels of review (e.g., technical, municipal counsel, external counsel). Municipal review periods are critical and can directly impact overall project schedule;
• The project could initiate a Right of Entry process with the Canadian Energy Regulator (CER) in lieu of mutual agreements to preserve schedule. This was not especially favoured, as it could negatively impact working relationships.