July 22 (Reuters) -

Oil pipeline operator Trans Mountain plans to borrow in the

bond market to refinance some of its outstanding debt before the

Canadian government eventually sells it, Bloomberg News reported

on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The company said it had C$25.3 billion ($18.4 billion) debt

as of March 31, per the report.

The pipeline's expansion project, which has so far cost C$34

billion ($24.72 billion), nearly triples its capacity to ship

oil from Alberta to Canada's Pacific coast to 890,000 barrels

per day.

The pipeline, which was purchased by the Canadian government

in 2018 to ensure it got constructed, began commercial

operations on May 1, after years of regulatory and cost-related

delays.

Earlier this year, the country was amending regulations on

how it manages the state-owned pipeline to facilitate its sale

to Indigenous groups.

($1 = 1.3752 Canadian dollars)