Kinder Morgan is reopening a call for long-term binding contracts tied to the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, a 1,150-kilometre line that runs petroleum products from the Alberta tar sands to Burnaby.
The company announced on Tuesday that the "open season" period, which already closed on Feb. 16, will run for another two weeks, starting on March 27. The open season is when shippers who use the pipeline agree to long-term binding contracts should the pipeline expand.
Spokesperson Lexa Hobenshield could not provide details on what changes prompted the extension, but she said it's common industry practice to extend open seasons.
"Based on current level of commitments ... and current proposed scope, we have room for additional participation from customers," she said. "The scope of the open season was 600,000 barrels per day, and it could differ - up to 700,000 barrels per day. This is still the case. More information will be available about the proposed scope later this spring."
The open season news comes the same day the company announced that it will add 1.2 million barrels of capacity to its Edmonton terminal, which connects to the pipeline.
Kinder Morgan still needs to consult the public and apply for National Energy Board approval before expanding the pipeline.
