Enbridge OKs pipeline expansion to U.S. Gulf Coast

Enbridge said Friday it is focusing expansion efforts on the U.S. Gulf Coast where there is an ongong thirst for Canadian crude. Photo by ROBERT SULLIVAN / AFP/Getty Images

Enbridge Inc. has green-lit a $1.4-billion expansion of its pipeline network carrying Canadian heavy oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast, underscoring the midstream giant’s continued southbound tilt despite Alberta’s political push to see a new route to the West Coast.

“We think south makes the most sense,”

“That’s where we’ve got the world’s biggest refining complex who want more of our Canadian oil . There’s lots of demand in the states. It’s growing. Foreign imports are waning.”

The Calgary-based company announced a final investment decision Friday to boost capacity on its Mainline network by 150,000 barrels per da