March 2026

The Pathways Project is a proposed CO₂ transportation network and storage hub that, when operational, will transport and store captured CO₂ from multiple oil sands facilities in northeast Alberta. Each individual oil sands operator will manage carbon capture activities at its own facilities. 

According to a 2025 report by the Global CCS Institute, CCS is used around the world, with more than 77 commercial CCS projects currently operating, 47 under construction and 610 in development.

In the proposed Pathways Project, compressed CO₂ will travel through a 650-kilometre pipeline network connecting oil sands facilities to a storage hub in the Cold Lake area. The CO₂ will be injected into the Basal Cambrian Sandstone formation, roughly 1,000 to 2,000 metres underground, where porous rock stores the CO₂ and impermeable cap rock layers act as a natural seal. Monitoring and regulatory oversight will guide safe operation and long-term storage performance. 

This fact sheet covers:

• What carbon capture and storage is and how it works
• Details about the proposed Pathways Project:
  • Pipeline infrastructure and geological storage in the Basal Cambrian Sandstone
  • Environmental management, monitoring plans and consultation with Indigenous groups and other communities