The JV of the two construction firms named as Surerus Murphy Joint Venture (SMJV) is one of the six contractors chosen by Kinder Morgan Canada following a memorandum of understanding.

SMJV will handle construction of ‘Spread 5A’, which is a 185km long section of the Trans Mountain pipeline stretching from Black Pines to south of Merritt in British Columbia.

SMJV president Mick Fitzpatrick said: “This is brilliant news for our joint venture and the indigenous and local people we will be employing to work on this project.

“We have vast experience in this field and have already been working on pipelines across Canada, so we understand how important this expansion is for the country. The new pipeline will benefit people across Canada and we look forward to working on this important project.”

Work at the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is likely to begin later this month based on the outcome of final contract approvals. The 980km interstate pipeline system will transport crude oil from Edmonton in Alberta to Burnaby in British Columbia.

By the end of 2019, the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline and associated terminal expansions are likely to commence operations with the work distributed between several sections along the pipeline route called as spreads.

Kinder Morgan Canada president Ian Anderson said: “Getting the construction contractors on board represents a significant milestone for Trans Mountain and demonstrates our commitment to delivering the project in a timely, cost-effective manner.

“We’re pleased with the calibre and experience of the contractors. Each contractor was chosen for its expertise in delivering quality work, and the individual needs and complexities of each portion of the project.”

Towards the end of last month, Kinder Morgan had secured the approval of the National Energy Board in Canada for its plans to expand the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby as part of the Trans Mountain expansion project.

The pipeline expansion project is expected to boost the capacity of the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline system by nearly three times. Currently, the daily production of the pipeline system has been around 300,000 barrels of oil.

Image: SMJV will take part in construction of the Trans Mountain project. Photo: courtesy of supakitmod/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.