Energy insiders doubt oil pipeline will make federal priority list

Ottawa's initial list did include LNG Canada's second phase — already widely expected by industry to proceed — and the September announcement acknowledged the need for further work to develop a so-called "Pathways Plus" project. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Many investors and executives in Canada’s oil and gas industry say they doubt a major new pipeline will make Ottawa’s list of priority projects, ATB Capital Markets reported in its fall energy sector survey that also found the industry expects only modest production growth this year.

Only a slim majority — 52 per cent — of energy insiders who weighed in on the bank’s latest industry barometer said a new pipeline project was either “probable” or “highly probable” to be added to the federal government’s list of major