Enbridge goes ahead with $300m expansion of gas storage facility near Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Enbridge is going ahead with a $300 million expansion of a local gas storage facility.

Plans for the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility, located about 120 kilometres northeast of Fort St. John, were announced as part of the company’s second-quarter update on August 1st.

“In British Columbia, Aitken Creek is the only underground natural gas storage facility in the province, and we’re proceeding with a 40 bcf [billion cubic feet] expansion which will provide enhanced flexibility for our LNG-related customers,” said Enbridge president and CEO Greg Ebel in a written statement. 

The expansion will include new onsite wells, additional compression and facility upgrades to enhance withdrawal capacity and output.

The company says the expansion is “substantially de-risked” with 10-year storage contracts already in place. Enbridge expects the facility upgrades to be in service by 2028.

The project is part of Enbridge’s broader $32 billion secured capital growth program.

In its report, Enbridge reported strong second-quarter results, with $2.2 billion in GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings and a seven per cent year-over-year increase in adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) to $4.6 billion, while reaffirming its full-year financial guidance for 2025.