Since 2021, Indigenous communities have acquired ownership interests in more than 5,000 kilometres of operating pipelines across Canada, the regulator said in a market snapshot examining Indigenous participation in energy infrastructure.

The growing equity participation marks a significant shift in how major energy projects in Canada are developed and financed. Instead of participating primarily through consultation or employment, many Indigenous communities are becoming equity partners in pipelines and LNG facilities.

The CER says Indigenous ownership now includes stakes in oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids pipelines already in service, as well as involvement in LNG export projects that are under construction or proposed. Indigenous communities also hold ownership interests in an operating LNG peaking and storage facility in British Columbia.

While many Indigenous-led energy initiatives in Canada focus on renewable power, the regulator noted that Indigenous communities—already recognized as the third-largest collective owners of clean energy assets in Canada after governments—have also expanded their ownership of fossil-fuel infrastructure in recent years.

“This growing ownership can create important economic opportunities and gives communities a greater voice and access to infrastructure and project-related information within their territories,” the CER said.

Much of the investment so far has focused on pipelines that are already operating. These assets typically generate stable, predictable revenue, making them easier to finance and attractive for Indigenous investment partnerships.

For example, in 2022 a group of 23 Indigenous communities known as Athabasca Indigenous Investments acquired an 11.57 per cent ownership stake in several Enbridge oilsands pipelines, covering more than 2,400 kilometres of infrastructure in northern Alberta. The transaction was supported by a $250 million loan guarantee from the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC).

Other partnerships include the Northern Courier pipeline, where the Astisiy Partnership acquired a 14.25 per cent stake in 2021, and the Access NGL pipeline system, where the Northern Lakehead Indigenous Alliance purchased a 43 per cent ownership stake in 2023.

More recently, 38 Indigenous communities joined together through the Stonlasec8 Alliance Limited Partnership to purchase a 12.5 per cent interest in the Westcoast natural gas pipeline system, a network stretching more than 2,900 kilometres across British Columbia. The deal was backed by a $400 million loan guarantee from the federal Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program.

The CER says these types of investments are often structured through consortiums or limited partnerships, allowing multiple First Nations, Métis communities, or Indigenous governments to jointly invest in major infrastructure projects while sharing financial risks and benefits.

Government-backed loan guarantees have become a key tool supporting Indigenous ownership in the energy sector. These programs reduce financial risk for lenders and help Indigenous communities access capital on more favourable terms.

At the federal level, the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program, launched in 2024 and administered through the Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation, can provide guarantees ranging from about $20 million to $1 billion.

Several provinces have introduced similar initiatives. Alberta’s AIOC, created in 2019, has supported multiple pipeline equity deals, while programs in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia are also designed to help Indigenous communities participate financially in energy and natural resource projects.

Ownership structures for LNG projects often differ from those used for existing pipelines. Instead of buying into assets that are already operating, Indigenous nations are frequently involved earlier in the development process.

One example is Cedar LNG, a floating LNG export facility under construction in Kitimat, British Columbia. The project is majority-owned by the Haisla Nation with a 50.1 per cent stake, alongside partner Pembina Pipeline Corporation. The facility is expected to export about 3.3 million tonnes of LNG per year once it begins operating later this decade.

Other proposed projects with Indigenous partners include Ksi Lisims LNG, being developed with the Nisga’a Nation in northern British Columbia, and NeeStaNan LNG, a proposed project led by Fox Lake Cree Nation in Manitoba.

Indigenous communities are also partners in the Mt. Hayes LNG peaking and storage facility, which has been operating since 2011 to help meet peak natural gas demand in British Columbia.

The CER says Indigenous ownership in Canada’s energy infrastructure could continue to grow. The federal government has indicated it will explore opportunities for Indigenous economic participation in the Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline, which could create additional ownership opportunities.

If current trends continue, Indigenous equity participation may become an increasingly important feature of Canada’s energy sector, reshaping how large energy projects are financed, governed, and developed across the country.

The post Indigenous communities expanding ownership of Canadian pipelines and LNG projects appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.

Canada’s pipeline system is a network of pipelines regulated by federal, provincial, and territorial regulators. It includes more than 760 000 kilometers (km) of pipelines that transport crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and refined petroleum products across the country.⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ For perspective, you would need to drive from Vancouver, British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia approximately 130 times to cover the same distance!

Figure 1: Map of operating pipelines regulated by the Canada Energy Regulator (CER)

Provincial and territorial regulators of pipelines and energy

Jurisdiction	Regulator	Economic Function	Operational Function	Description
Yukon	Yukon Department of Energy, Mines and Resources			The Department of Energy, Mines and Resources is responsible for regulating the exploration and development of Yukon’s oil and gas resources, including issuing oil and gas rights, administering royalty revenues and licences, and regulating industry activities. In 1993, the Canada Yukon Oil and Gas Accord was signed. It transferred responsibility for oil and gas resources from the NEB to the Government of Yukon.
Yukon	Yukon Utilities Board			The Yukon Utilities Board regulates the rates of two electricity providers in the territory, Yukon Energy Corporation and ATCO Electric Yukon.
Northwest Territories	The Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations (OROGO)			The OROGO regulates onshore oil and gas operations in the Northwest Territories, outside federal areas and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Their responsibilities include application reviews, regulating seismic and drilling operations, pipeline and well regulation, inspection and compliance, and emergency response and investigation. The OROGO was established in 2014 when the Northwest Territories’ Oil and Gas Operations Act came into force.
Northwest Territories	Northwest Territories Public Utilities Board (NWT PUB)			The NWT PUB is an independent agency of the Government of the Northwest Territories. It is responsible for the regulation of public utilities in the NWT, such as natural gas and electricity. There are currently six utility companies operating in the NWT that are regulated by the PUB. The NWT Power Corporation, Northland Utilities (Yellowknife) Limited, and Northland Utilities (NWT) Limited are fully regulated by the PUB. The remaining three companies are regulated by the PUB on a complaints-basis only.
Nunavut	Nunavut Utility Rates Review Council (URRC)			The URRC is an arms-length advisory council that assesses rates, policy development, and major project applications submitted by the Qulliq Energy Corporation. The Council also provides recommendations to the Government of Nunavut on power rates.
British Columbia	British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission (BCOGC)			The BCOGC is responsible for overseeing oil and gas operations, refineries, and geothermal development in British Columbia. It regulates 50 813 km of pipelines, 78% of which carry natural gas. For example, the BCOGC regulates the Coastal GasLink pipeline, the LNG Canada export terminal project, and the Vancouver Airport Fuel Delivery project. The Commission was established in 1998.
British Columbia	British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC)			The BCUC is an independent regulatory agency that regulates energy utilities’ rate applications, and their construction plans for new facilities. The BCUC also regulates the financial side of common carrier pipelines located entirely within B.C., including tolls and the conditions for using the service of pipelines. The BCUC regulates NorthRiver Midstream gas gathering pipelines, BC Hydro and FortisBC Energy Inc.
Alberta	Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)			The AER regulates energy development in Alberta, including the life cycle of oil, oil sands, natural gas, and coal projects. It regulates 433 000 km of pipelines, 146 000 operating wells, 21 000 gas facilities, and 30 000 oil facilities. The AER regulates the Alberta Products Pipe Line, the Pembina Pipeline System, and the Syncrude Pipeline. The AER was established in 1938.
Alberta	Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC)			The AUC is an independent, quasi-judicial agency of the province of Alberta that regulates the utilities sector, natural gas, and electricity markets. The AUC approves new pipeline construction, issues licences for pipeline construction, operation, abandonment and removal, reviews and approves routing, approves rates to be paid to transport gas through the pipeline system, and establishes rules and regulations for the design, construction, operation and abandonment of gas utility pipelines in Alberta. The AUC regulates ATCO Gas and Pipelines and Apex Utilities Inc. (formerly AltaGas Utilities Inc.), which are both natural gas distributors in Alberta.
Saskatchewan	Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources			The Ministry operates as the primary regulatory authority for the oil and gas industry and ensures competitive royalty systems, regulations, and policies for all natural resource sectors. For example, the Ministry regulates the TransGas pipeline system.
Saskatchewan	Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel			The Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel advises the Government of Saskatchewan on rate applications proposed by SaskEnergy and SaskPower. The Panel reviews each application to determine the fairness and reasonableness of the rate request, and provides the government with an objective evaluation.
Manitoba	Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development Division			The Natural Resources and Northern Development Division regulates the exploration, development, production and transportation of oil and gas.
Manitoba	Manitoba Public Utilities Board (PUB)			The PUB regulates natural gas, propane, and electricity rates, and monitors the construction and operation of gas pipelines that are subject to provincial jurisdiction. The PUB regulates rates for natural gas supplied by Centra Gas and electricity rates by Manitoba Hydro.
Ontario	Ontario Energy Board (OEB)			The OEB regulates electricity and natural gas rates. The OEB also reviews applications for new electricity transmission lines and natural gas pipelines. The OEB regulates Ontario’s main natural gas distribution company, Enbridge Gas Inc. The Board was established in 1960.
Ontario	Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry			The Ministry regulates licenses for the exploration and extraction of oil, natural gas, and salt resources, as well as underground storage. They are also responsible for managing these resources where they occur on Crown lands.
Quebec	Régie de l’énergie du Québec			The Régie de l’énergie du Québec is the economic regulator of electricity and natural gas rates in Quebec. For example, the Régie de l’énergie regulates Énergir (formerly Gaz Métro) and Enbridge Gazifère, both gas distributors in Quebec, but only in matters of economic viability and tolls and tariffs.
Quebec	Régie du bâtiment du Québec			The Régie du bâtiment du Québec regulates the installation and exploitation of gas and refined petroleum product pipelines in Quebec. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec regulates the Pipeline Saint-Laurent, which transports refined petroleum products.
Quebec	Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles			The Ministère de l’Énergie regulates 16 km of crude oil pipelines in Quebec. It provides integrity oversight and performs inspections and audits on the companies it regulates.
New Brunswick	New Brunswick Energy & Utilities Board (EUB)			The EUB regulates various aspects of the electricity and natural gas sectors. The EUB also sets weekly maximum prices for petroleum products sold within the province. The EUB promotes safety and ensures that companies design, construct, operate, and abandon pipelines safely. The EUB regulates Liberty Utilities, which distributes natural gas throughput southern New Brunswick. The Board was established in 1910.
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Utility & Review Board (NSUARB)			The NSUARB sets petroleum product prices and sets rates for electricity, water, and natural gas utilities. In 1999, the Board assumed responsibility for the regulation of oil and gas pipeline construction, operations, and maintenance. NSUARB regulates Nova Scotia Power, which is responsible for electricity distribution in the province. The Board was established in 1992.
Newfoundland and Labrador	Newfoundland and Labrador Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities			The Board is responsible for the regulation of electricity rates in the province. In 2004, the Board assumed responsibility for regulation of maximum prices for petroleum products in the province.
Prince Edward Island	Prince Edward Island Regulatory & Appeals Commission			The Commission was established in 1991 and is responsible for regulating petroleum pricing, as well as electricity and water utilities. It regulates the operations of Maritime Electric Company Limited.
Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore	Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB)			The role of the C-NLOPB is to facilitate the exploration for and development of petroleum resources in the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area. On 5 April 2022, NRCan announced that the Board’s mandate would be expanded to include the regulation of offshore renewable energy development, such as wind and clean hydrogen. The Board will be renamed to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Board (C-NLOEB) to reflect its new mandate. There are currently four production facilities in offshore Newfoundland and Labrador: Hebron, Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose.
Nova Scotia offshore	Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB)			Since 1990, the CNSOPB has been overseeing all activities through the lifecycle of offshore oil and gas projects in the Canada-Nova Scotia offshore area, from exploration through development, and finally to abandonment. The CNSOPB regulates the Sable Offshore Energy Project and the Deep Panuke Offshore Gas Development Project, which are both now permanently decommissioned and abandoned.

Who regulates pipelines in Canada?

Pipeline transportation is highly regulated. Regulators such as public utility boards can regulate utility rates or physical projects. The CER oversees both physical projects, including pipeline construction and operation, as well as financial and economic aspects.⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾

The federal regulator

Pipelines that cross provincial, territorial, or international boundaries are regulated federally by the CER, primarily through the Canadian Energy Regulator Act. As of 2021, the CER is responsible for over 81 000 km of pipeline,⁽⁵⁾ which is about 10 per cent of the Canadian total. The majority of these are transmission pipelines.

The CER is a lifecycle regulator and monitors a project through the phases of pipeline application, construction, operation, decommissioning, and abandonment. The CER also has a mandate for financial and economic regulation, by regulating tolls and tariffs, and overseeing abandonment funding and financial resources. Visit the Pipeline Profiles for details on major CER-regulated pipelines.

Provincial regulators

Pipelines that are located entirely within one province are regulated by the relevant provincial regulator. They typically regulate gathering, feeder, and distribution pipelines, as well as other energy-related activities such as exploration, petroleum product prices, and other utilities. See the table above for the list of provincial and territorial regulators and their roles.

Establishing jurisdictional authority

There are times when regulators must determine under which jurisdiction (provincial or federal) a pipeline or project will fall. In those instances, the regulator will consider jurisdiction by applying the relevant legal test.

Examples of this include the TransCanada Alberta System [Folder 549124], the sale of Westcoast Gathering System assets [Folder 3817720], the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project [Folder 3335429], the Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project [Folder 3809973], and the Enbridge Frontier Project [Folder 3962346].

Pipeline regulation in Canada’s North

There are a few active pipelines regulated by the CER in the Northwest Territories (NWT), including the Enbridge Norman Wells Pipeline and the Ikhil pipeline.⁽⁶⁾ Currently, there are no active pipelines in Nunavut or the Arctic Offshore.

Other regulatory responsibilities of the CER in the North includes oil and gas exploration in the onshore Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR),⁽⁷⁾ under the NWT’s Oil and Gas Operations Act. Exploration and development in Nunavut, the Canadian Arctic offshore, and the Norman Wells Proven Area (NWT) is regulated under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act.⁽⁸⁾

Types of pipelines

A pipeline system is made up of four different types of pipelines. Gathering, feeder, and distribution pipelines are typically regulated by the provincial regulators. Transmission pipelines are typically regulated by the CER.

• Gathering pipelines are mid-sized pipes that deliver products from wells to storage or processing facilities.
• Feeder pipelines move products from storage or processing facilities to transmission pipelines.
• Transmission pipelines are large diameter pipes that deliver products over long distances, usually from storage facilities to end markets.
• Distribution pipelines are used by local distribution companies to deliver natural gas to homes and businesses.

Footnotes:

1. CER, Pipeline regulation in Canada
2. Pipelines can carry commodities other than oil and gas, such as carbon dioxide, natural gas liquids, slurry, and water.
3. The National Energy Board was established in November 1959 under the National Energy Board Act. In 2019, Parliament repealed the National Energy Board Act and enacted the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, which established the Canada Energy Regulator.
4. In addition to regulating pipelines, some regulators have a mandate related to electric power lines and electricity distribution. See the CER’s report, What is in a Canadian Residential Electricity Bill?, for more information on the role of the regulator.
5. This includes abandoned, decommissioned, and operating pipelines. The number of kilometers of pipelines are based on various factors such as data quality, pipeline status, and received applications. Pipeline lengths can change when higher quality data is received, or when operators buy or sell pipelines into or out of the CER’s jurisdiction.
6. The Enbridge Norman Wells Pipeline is regulated under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act. The CER regulates the 45 km of the Ikhil pipeline that falls within the onshore Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) under the Northwest Territories’ Oil and Gas Operations Act, and OROGO regulates the remaining 5 km outside the ISR.
7. The Inuvialuit Settlement Region includes the Mackenzie Delta, Beaufort Sea, and Amundsen Gulf area. Large parts of the settlement region are offshore. See a map of the region.
8. See the CER’s North and Offshore webpage for more information on the CER’s responsibilities for oil and gas exploration and production in the North and offshore.
9. The CER also regulates the production side and gathering pipelines of the Norman Wells oil field and the Ikhil gas field in the Northwest Territories.

The post Canada’s pipeline system – Who regulates what? appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.

In 2018, Canada exported 275 thousand barrels per day (Mb/d) of crude oil by marine vessel, or 8 per cent of total crude oil exports. Most crude oil exported from Canada occurs via pipeline. In 2018 this averaged 3.09 million barrels per day or 86 per cent of total crude exports.

Approximately 80 per cent of the crude oil exported by marine vessel is shipped from Canada’s eastern offshore production areas. This crude oil comes from drilling platforms offshore of Newfoundland and loaded directly onto marine tankers.

Around one fifth of the crude oil exported by marine tanker is shipped off Canada’s west coast. This crude oil is produced in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and transported either by rail or on the Trans Mountain Pipeline to the Westridge loading dock in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Shipping crude oil by marine tanker allows Canadian crude oil to reach many different global markets. In 2018, Canadian crude oil was exported to 22 different countries in Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Crude oil export volumes by marine tanker are generally confidential on a monthly basis. The data may also be confidential at the country-level due to the small number of companies shipping to specific destinations. For this reason, the data has been aggregated to larger geographic regions.

The post Canadian crude exports: How much and where do they go? appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.

Lack of capacity on Canadian pipelines has deepened discount to WTI

OPEC President Suhail al-Mazrouei is urging Canada to invest in pipelines to move the country’s oil and natural gas to market to ensure investment doesn’t shift to the United States.

Speaking during the Calgary Stampede at a TD investor conference in Canada’s oil capital, al-Mazrouei said “If you don’t have the major infrastructure, investors are going to go to your neighbour, where infrastructure is not an issue”.

“Act and act quickly if you want to retain those investors. I am being frank because I want to be a true friend to the Canadians”, said al-Mazrouei.

“I don’t want them to lose opportunities.”

As well as possible investment losses to the US, a lack of capacity on Canada’s pipelines has resulted in a significant discount between Canadian heavy crude and US light oil futures.

Al-Mazrouei, who is also the United Arab Emirates’ Energy Minister, added that much of Canada’s natural gas is low-priced because it is landlocked and Canada does not have a robust LNG export sector to consume it.

“The solution is LNG and pipelines to export that natural gas,” Mazrouei said. “If you provide optionality for the gas, it’s going to fix itself.”

LNG Canada is close to making a final investment decision on the $40 billion project which would see BC natural gas be shipped from northeastern British Columbia to an LNG facility in Kitimat on the West Coast.

From there, LNG would likely be shipped to Asia.

LNG Canada says it will make a final decision on the project by the end of the year, however, a number of analysts say the joint venture could get the green light much sooner, possibly this month.

In May, the Canadian government agreed to purchase Kinder Morgan Canada’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project for $4.5 billion.

The post OPEC urges Canada to build pipelines or risk losing investment to US appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.