TransCanada Corp., the second- largest Canadian pipeline company, applied for approval to build the C$12 billion ($10.7 billion) Energy East link between the oil sands and the Atlantic.

The 4,600-kilometer (2,859-mile) line originating in Alberta would be the largest oil conduit in North America, carrying as much as 1.1 million barrels a day to eastern refineries and marine terminals in Quebec and New Brunswick, starting in 2018, according to a statement distributed by Marketwired today. Canada’s National Energy Board has 15 months to review the project and make a recommendation to the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Energy East is among four major pipeline projects proposed to ship rising oil-sands output largely landlocked in Alberta to the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts as producers seek new markets and higher prices for Canadian crude. The Keystone XL and Northern Gateway projects and the expansion of the Trans Mountain line face delays as oil-sands opponents and landowners fearful of spills succeed in stalling regulatory reviews.

TransCanada, based in Calgary, is planning to convert portions of its existing natural gas mainline to carry crude and lay new pipe to build Energy East.