Trans Mountain Runs Full as Asia Comes Calling

Canada's Trans Mountain pipeline runs near full as Asian refiners pivot away from Middle East disruption toward Canadian crude

14 May 2026

Canada's Trans Mountain pipeline ran at close to full capacity in April, marking the highest throughput since its C$34bn expansion began commercial operations in 2024. Running at 890,000 barrels per day, the system has become a critical conduit for Asian refiners seeking to reduce dependence on Middle Eastern crude amid persistent regional conflict.

Geopolitics has accelerated a shift that pipeline advocates spent a decade predicting. Mark Maki, Trans Mountain's chief executive, confirmed at CERAWeek in March that utilization had climbed into the "high-90s." Chinese and Japanese buyers have increased purchases of Canadian heavy crude, drawn by access to Pacific shipping routes.

Attention has now shifted to squeezing more volume from existing infrastructure.

In February, Trans Mountain filed plans with the Canada Energy Regulator for a C$9mn project to inject drag-reducing chemicals at 17 pump stations, with construction targeted for August 2026. Roughly 90,000 bpd of additional capacity could follow by early 2027. On April 7, the Crown corporation opened a binding season inviting shippers to commit to long-term contracts, laying commercial foundations for a second optimisation that could add a further 210,000 bpd by 2028 or 2029.

Broader production trends underscore the urgency. Alberta's oil sands output hit a record 3.5mn bpd in 2025, with several steam-assisted gravity drainage operators running above their rated limits.

Without additional export infrastructure, analysts warn, production growth risks outstripping pipeline availability well before 2030. Wider price discounts on Canadian crude would erode the very market gains that tidewater access was built to deliver.

April's capacity milestone offers concrete evidence that Asian demand for Canadian barrels can be sustained at scale. Whether infrastructure can keep pace with producer ambition remains an open question.