Pathways Alliance

The Pathways Alliance is a consortium of six of Canada's largest oil sands producers—Canadian Natural Resources, Cenovus Energy, Imperial Oil, MEG Energy, Suncor Energy, and ConocoPhillips that together represent about 95% of the country's oil sands output. They are proposing a massive, integrated CCS network in northern Alberta, anchored by a 400-kilometer pipeline that would transport liquid CO₂ captured from more than 13 oil sands facilities to an underground storage hub near Cold Lake. This centralized hub would inject the CO₂ into deep geological formations, potentially sequestering tens of millions of tonnes of emissions annually. This multibillion-dollar project, estimated at CAD 16–25 billion, could become one of the world’s largest CCS systems. It is designed to deliver an open-access model, meaning it would support multiple industrial emitters across the region. The alliance has already initiated exploratory engineering work, environmental field programs, and consultation with Indigenous communities. Additionally, they’re seeking regulatory approvals and fiscal incentives, including federal and provincial investment, to de-risk the deployment and secure long-term viability of the project.