Premier Danielle Smith said Alberta is narrowing its search for a new oil pipeline route to Canada’s west coast, with a northwest location emerging as a potential frontrunner to move 1 million additional barrels of crude daily to Asian markets.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, Smith confirmed her government is evaluating five different port sites. 

The push for new pipeline infrastructure comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to diversify Canadian trade away from the United States following the implementation of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

While energy remains Canada’s largest export, the federal government is pivoting toward buyers in China and India. 

Carney told Parliament on Jan. 27 that a November agreement with Alberta "will build a pipeline to tidewater," though the specific route and cost remain subjects of intense debate.

Smith has largely dismissed Kitimat as an endpoint, citing the logistical complexity of navigating oil tankers through its narrow fjords. Instead, the Premier’s criteria point toward Prince Rupert. 

As Canada’s third-largest port, Prince Rupert offers faster shipping times to Asia and less congestion than southern hubs.

"Maybe it makes more sense to take it up to an area where there’s less congestion," Smith said, noting the potential for 24-hour operations.

However, a northern route faces significant hurdles. Federal law currently bans oil tankers from the northern British Columbia coastline, and any project would require difficult negotiations with Indigenous communities.

Alternatives include expanding the federally owned Trans Mountain pipeline toward the Vancouver region. 

While an expansion would face stiff opposition from environmental activists in densely populated areas, some analysts suggest the Roberts Bank terminal south of Vancouver could serve as a terminus.

Other potential sites include the Nisga’a Nation territory near the Alaska border, currently the proposed home for the Ksi Lisims liquefied natural gas project.

Despite past friction over pipeline development, Smith indicated she and B.C. Premier David Eby shares "common ground" on resource development. Eby, while previously critical of oil expansions, acknowledged that B.C.’s constitutional power to block such projects is limited.