Surerus Murphy wins first land construction contract for PRGT natural gas pipeline in British Columbia

Surerus Murphy Joint Venture has been named the first terrestrial contractor on the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) natural gas pipeline project in northern British Columbia. The contract was awarded by Western LNG and the Nisga’a Nation, the Indigenous-led partnership behind the project.

The announcement marks a milestone for PRGT, which had already seen its marine construction work assigned—but hadn’t yet named a land-based builder.

Surerus Murphy awarded first land contract on PRGT pipeline

With marine work already handled, PRGT needed someone to build the land sections. Surerus Murphy Joint Venture got the call. The company will manage terrestrial construction along the pipeline route through northern British Columbia, closing the last major contractor gap in the project’s early execution phase.

Evaluating and selecting contractors across the project falls within that mandate, and it’s a process that led directly to Surerus Murphy’s selection.

Marine work had previously gone to Allseas, a Swiss firm specializing in subsea pipeline construction. With Surerus Murphy now on board, both major construction fronts have a contractor in place.

Bechtel—one of the world’s largest engineering and construction firms—is supporting Western LNG and the Nisga’a Nation on overall execution planning. Evaluating and selecting contractors across the project falls within that mandate, and it’s a process that led directly to Surerus Murphy’s selection.

Why Surerus Murphy was selected for the project

Experience in the specific terrain was a deciding factor. Surerus Murphy has already built major pipeline projects through northern British Columbia, and that familiarity matters when you’re working in remote, rugged country where surprises are expensive.

Davis Thames, Founder, President, and CEO of Western LNG, put it plainly: “There is no substitute for a contractor that has already built a pipeline through this terrain. Surerus Murphy’s experience building major projects in northern B.C. means fewer surprises and faster problem-solving.”

The joint venture brings together over 100 years of combined pipeline construction experience in western Canada. Surerus Pipeline Inc. is a family-owned company based in Fort St. John, B.C., while its partner, J. Murphy & Sons, is headquartered in the UK with Canadian offices in Calgary and Edmonton. They formed the joint venture in 2015.

Mick Fitzpatrick, President of Surerus Murphy Joint Venture, said the company understands the project’s scope “intimately” and is committed to completing the work safely while finding ways to contribute to the communities the project touches.

Indigenous participation and local economic requirements

Winning this contract comes with a specific obligation. Surerus Murphy must develop a local and Indigenous participation plan—not optional, but a standard requirement PRGT applies to all prime contractors.

The condition reflects a broader philosophy behind the project. Eva Clayton, President of Nisga’a Lisims Government, was direct about the reasoning: “When we build with Canadian companies, and those companies subcontract to local and Indigenous businesses, that means huge benefits stay right here in British Columbia.

Choosing Canadian construction firms for PRGT’s land sections, Clayton said, is a deliberate decision—not a default. The goal is to keep economic value circulating within the province, particularly in Indigenous and northern communities that sit closest to the pipeline route. The PRGT project was acquired from TC Energy by the Nisga’a Nation and Western LNG in 2024, and that ownership structure shapes how contractor requirements are designed and enforced throughout the build.

Background: What the PRGT project is and what it aims to achieve

PRGT is a natural gas pipeline designed to move gas from northeastern British Columbia to the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG export facility on Canada’s northwest coast. Once operational, the facility would position Canada as a meaningful player in the global LNG export market.

Construction on Nisga’a Lands began several months after the 2024 acquisition from TC Energy. The pace reflects both the project’s ambition and the groundwork already laid before ownership transferred.

The project’s backers describe it as a new model for Indigenous-led infrastructure, with environmental responsibility and economic reconciliation framed as core priorities rather than afterthoughts. Route refinements and mitigation measures were built into the design from the start, specifically to reduce environmental impacts along the corridor. That combination—Indigenous ownership, local economic requirements, and integrated environmental planning—is what separates PRGT from more conventional pipeline projects. Execution will determine whether those promises hold, but the contractor selection process suggests the ownership group is taking its commitments seriously.

Experience that reduces risk and speeds up problem-solving

Surerus Murphy Joint Venture is now the first terrestrial construction contractor on the PRGT natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia. The contract covers the land sections of the route, while Allseas handles marine work and Bechtel continues supporting overall execution planning and contractor selection.

Surerus Murphy was chosen for its deep experience building pipelines through northern B.C. terrain—experience that Western LNG says reduces risk and speeds up problem-solving in the field. Formed in 2015, the joint venture brings together more than a century of combined pipeline construction expertise.

As a condition of its contract, the company must develop a local and Indigenous participation plan, a requirement that applies to all prime contractors on PRGT. The project, acquired by the Nisga’a Nation and Western LNG from TC Energy in 2024, is designed to deliver natural gas from northeastern B.C. to the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG export facility on Canada’s northwest coast.

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.