Line fill on Canada's long-delayed Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion is set to begin in April, Reuters reported on Saturday, March 2, citing information from oil producer MEG Energy.

Line fill is the final step before the expanded pipeline, which runs from Alberta to British Columbia, can begin transporting oil. 

The expansion will provide Canadian oil producers with greater access to refineries on the U.S. West Coast and in Asia.

The Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain Corporation is seeking 2.1 million barrels of oil for line fill in both April and May, MEG Energy CEO Derek Evans said on a conference call.

For years, Canadian oil producers have been forced to sell their crude at a discount due to limited pipeline capacity. 

With a price tag of C$30.9 billion ($22.79 billion), the Trans Mountain expansion project aims to address this issue by tripling the pipeline's existing capacity to 590,000 barrels per day. 

The expansion is expected to be operational in the second quarter of this year.