In regards to the concerns expressed by Todd Whitcombe on a political perceived shortfall of refined fuel products from Trans Mountain Pipeline to B.C. and particularly the Lower Mainland, I would refer Whitcombe to the Trans Mountain website and click on the "news" icon at the top of the page.
Scroll down to a news update of May 2, 2019, entitled Update: May 2019 Capacity Announcement for the Trans Mountain Pipeline System.
The article explains what pipeline apportionment is and why it is important. Trans Mountain Pipeline was asked to provide 28 per cent more deliveries of all types of oil and refined products for May 2019.
These requests to provide more shipping volumes than available are not new. Trans Mountain has been over apportionment on a monthly basis for at least the last decade.
When a pipeline is over apportionment, Trans Mountain makes available pipeline capacity based on the volumes of shipper nominations that they receive and are calculated by apportionment using complex National Energy Board rules and tariffs.
Whitcombe's suggestion that pumping more volume of gasoline through Trans Mountain to accommodate the refinery maintenance shutdowns in Washington State is an oversimplification of complex shipping regulations and tariffs mandated by the National Energy Board.
All shippers that use Trans Mountain Pipeline have rights to access that pipeline. Trans Mountain is working under federal guidelines.
I am not sure where Premier John Horgan is getting this idea from that gasoline shipments to the Lower Mainland have been cut back in the past several weeks.
I phoned Trans Mountain Pipeline and was assured that present shipping volumes have been maintained in a consistent volume of various petroleum products as required in an over-prescribed pipeline.
Premier Jason Kenney has not turned off the taps.
Refinery maintenance shutdowns in Washington State appear to be the high gasoline price problem in B.C.
In 2018 Trans Mountain Pipelines nominated 53 per cent of total capacity to Washington state refineries.
Maybe Washington state needs to stop gouging B.C. They have over half of the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline capacity.
Wayne Martineau
Fraser Lake
