OTTAWA - Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says it's "premature" for anyone to draw conclusions regarding the potential removal, or adjustment, of the West Coast tanker ban, since no pipeline route has been mapped out to bring oil from Alberta to the B.C. coastline.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Hodgson said people are "jumping to conclusions" with regard to any discussions about adjusting or lifting the ban.

"I think it's premature for people to have concluded things when there is no route yet, and there have been no conversations about that route at this point in time," Hodgson said Thursday.

"What the MOU says is there will be a deepwater port with access to Asia. It does not say which port, on what part of the coast."

Hodgson is in B.C. Friday to

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