The completion of the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) has transformed Canada from a landlocked producer into a global energy power. After years of delays, the 1,150-km pipeline began operations on May 1, 2024, tripling western Canada’s export capacity and providing direct access to Pacific markets for the first time.
Why It Matters
For over a decade, Canada’s oil producers were constrained by limited pipeline capacity, forcing them to sell crude at deep discounts and rely heavily on U.S. buyers. TMX changed that dynamic by connecting Alberta’s oil sands to Vancouver’s Westridge Marine Terminal, enabling crude shipments to Asia and diversifying export routes.
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New export capacity – Adds ~600,000 b/d of new flow, boosting total throughput to 890,000 b/d.
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Market diversification – Opens access to Asian refineries and reduces dependence on U.S. Gulf importers.
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Economic impact – Eliminates billions in annual revenue losses previously caused by transport bottlenecks.
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Global trade benchmark – The Baltic Exchange introduced new tanker routes (TD28, TD29) tracking Canadian crude exports from Vancouver to China and the U.S. West Coast.
Together, these shifts mark Canada’s emergence as a major global supplier of heavy crude in Pacific markets.
What the Map Shows
In Rextag Energy DataLink, the map illustrates how TMX links upstream production in Alberta to global export infrastructure:
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Pipeline Route – From Edmonton to Burnaby, BC, tripling capacity along a 715-mile corridor.
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Oil Sands Supply – Feedstock originates in Fort McMurray’s oil sands region, the backbone of Alberta’s production.
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Refineries & Terminals – Includes Edmonton refining complex, Burnaby refinery, and Westridge Marine Terminal, the key export hub to Asia.
A Deeper Dive with DataLink
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Filter Crude Oil Pipelines to trace TMX’s connection from Fort McMurray to Vancouver.
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Overlay Refineries and Terminals to see how regional infrastructure integrates into global supply chains.
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Compare with Enbridge Mainline or Keystone to visualize North America’s competing export corridors.
The TMX now anchors Canada’s westward energy strategy — expanding capacity, stabilizing pricing, and reshaping trade flows from the oil sands to the Pacific Rim.
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