TORONTO (AP) — Kinder Morgan said Sunday it is suspending all non-essential activities and related spending on its controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project that would nearly triple the flow of oil from Canada's oil sands to the Pacific Coast.

The company said its decision is based on the British Columbia government's opposition to the project, which has also been the focus of sustained protests at Kinder Morgan's marine terminal in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Kinder Morgan says it will consult with "various stakeholders" to try to reach an agreement by May 31 that might allow the project to proceed.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has insisted the project should be completed despite the angry protests and the British Columbia government's continued battle against it in the courts.

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion by the Canadian division of Texas-based Kinder Morgan would dramatically increase the number of oil tankers traveling the shared waters between Canada and Washington state. Trudeau approved the project in late 2016, saying it was in Canada's best interest.

"We have determined that in the current environment, we will not put KML shareholders at risk on the remaining project spend," Steve Kean, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

"A company cannot resolve differences between governments. While we have succeeded in all legal challenges to date, a company cannot litigate its way to an in-service pipeline amidst jurisdictional differences between governments."

Kean said the uncertainty around the company's ability to finish the project "leads us to the conclusion that we should protect the value that KML has, rather than risking billions of dollars on an outcome that is outside of our control."

The project has drawn legal challenges and opposition from environmental groups and Native American tribes as well as from municipalities such as Vancouver and Burnaby. It's also sparked a dispute between the provinces of Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, and British Columbia. About 200 people have been arrested near Kinder Morgan's marine terminal in Burnaby during recent protests.

Opponents say increasing the flow of oil sent by pipeline and boosting the number of ships to transport it would increase the risks of oil spills and potential harm to fish, orcas and other wildlife.

Supporters say the expansion of the pipeline, which has operated since 1953, would give Canada access to new global markets, provide jobs and millions of dollars in economic benefits and could be done responsibly.

Kinder Morgan previously said it was moving ahead with preparatory work at two terminals in Burnaby but still needed to obtain numerous local permits and federal condition approvals to begin construction.

Canada needs infrastructure to export its growing oil sands production. Alberta is the United States' largest supplier of foreign oil.

Trudeau's government has been trying to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets with environmentalists' concerns. In 2016, he approved Trans Mountain, but rejected Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat, British Columbia.