Canada province sets task force in oil versus wine trade battle

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.

(Reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by Chris Reese)