Ottawa is nearing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Alberta on energy that could include a potential new oil pipeline.

That pipeline would connect Alberta’s oil sands to a facility on British Columbia’s coast – something Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been wanting for years.

The agreement would establish the terms in which the pipeline would be developed.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson confirmed a MOU was a “work in process right now” while appearing before the House of Commons committee on natural resources on Monday.

“I think we are getting close to a place, and when that gets done, we’ll have some more clarity,” Hodgson told the committee.

The biggest obstacle is a federal law that limits the use of oil tankers along the northern coast of B.C. The law

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