VANCOUVER, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Canada's oil-rich province of
Alberta ramped up its fight with western neighbor British
Columbia over a crude oil pipeline expansion on Friday,
announcing a task force to prepare new retaliatory measures in
the trade battle.
* British Columbia last week provoked the ire from Alberta
when it said it would restrict increased oil shipments through
the province, a move seen as an attack on Kinder Morgan Canada's
Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.
* Alberta retaliated by halting purchases of British
Columbia wine, and asked the federal government to step in to
assert its jurisdiction over the C$7.4 billion ($5.9
billion)project, which was approved by Canada in 2016.
* The expansion project would nearly triple capacity of the
existing Trans Mountain pipeline, which extends from Alberta's
energy heartland to a Vancouver area port, helping get more
Canadian crude to tide water for export.
* The task force, established by Alberta Premier Rachel
Notley, includes former politicians, business leaders and a
legal scholar.
($1 = 1.2574 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by Chris
Reese)