Alberta delays update on proposed West Coast oil pipeline as Carney meets B.C. premier

The Alberta government has postponed a planned update on its proposed million-barrel-a-day oil pipeline to Canada's West Coast.

A news conference featuring Premier Danielle Smith had been scheduled for Thursday morning but was delayed until later in the day. The provincial government did not immediately provide a reason for the change.

According to the Alberta government, the proposed pipeline is linked to a memorandum of understanding signed by Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney last fall. The agreement outlines a commitment to advance a bitumen export pipeline to the West Coast, contingent on progress toward a large-scale carbon capture network backed by Alberta's largest oil producers.

Industry leaders have said the carbon capture project would require billions of dollars in investment and have argued they should not be expected to fund the full cost without government support.

The delayed announcement comes as Carney is scheduled to meet British Columbia Premier David Eby in Vancouver. The B.C. government has consistently opposed a new West Coast oil pipeline, setting up a continuing interprovincial dispute over energy infrastructure.

The pipeline proposal also comes amid Alberta's broader political debate over its future within Confederation. The province is preparing for a referendum this fall on separation from Canada. Smith has argued that recent cooperation with Ottawa demonstrates the federation can address Alberta's concerns, while advocates for separation maintain the province's longstanding grievances remain unresolved.