skyscraper_1
Nov 18, 2007, 4:28 PM
Atlantic Canada recognizing 'untapped potential': oil exec
BY SHAUN POLCZER
CanWest News Service
The wind is howling over the lookout in Newfoundland's Come By Chance as gigantic supertankers ply the frigid waters of Placentia Bay, carrying cargoes of crude oil to offloading terminals at the base of the craggy rocks.
After decades of relying on handouts to sustain itself, the tides are shifting all across Atlantic Canada as the region struggles to regain control of its economic destiny.
None more so than Newfoundland, which has emerged as Canada's leading producer of light conventional oil.
A decade ago, Alan Brown was Hibernia's operations manager, inaugurating Canada's first big offshore project. This July he returned to the Rock as Petro-Canada's newly minted offshore boss.
Coming back to St. John's, he's struck by the changes that have taken place in the restaurants and coffee shops - and on the high seas, which will boast four world-class fields when Hebron comes on-stream.
"There's a deeper-rooted prosperity now," he insists. "What struck me coming back is that the prosperity isn't surface thin. There's actually the beginnings of a strong inertia, a strong critical mass.
"There's potential and opportunity to be tapped here," he says. "The expertise and prospects are as good as any in the world and I've been to most oil basins in the world. It's so important to Canada and the province, as well as the company."
Though Alberta accounts for 80 per cent of the nation's oil-and-gas production, Atlantic Canada is rapidly becoming a polar axis of big offshore projects, refineries, liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and nuclear power plants.
In Newfoundland, a consortium of multinational oil companies led by Chevron set aside their differences with the province's political leadership to pave the way for the $6-billion Hebron offshore oil development. This year, the province's oil royalties could top $1 billion for the first time, up from about $386 million in 2006.
With the Hebron deal, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams says the province is on a roll - it's more than just a mantra; it's his mission.
"I stay focused and just keep moving forward. And we're gettin' there. I'm delighted with the way things are going right now."
The energy is being felt in Nova Scotia, which is leveraging some of the highest tides in the world on the Bay of Fundy to lead the development of the next generation of tidal power. More than 100 billion tonnes of seawater flow in and out of the bay twice a day and the U.S.-based Electric Power Research Institute identifies the inlet as perhaps the most potent site for tidal generation in North America, and indeed the world.
When fully developed, in-stream tidal technology has the potential to generate 300 megawatts of clean, green electricity - enough to power 100,000 homes.
What differentiates the East Coast from Alberta is the diversity of its prospects, says former Nova Scotia energy minister Bill Dooks.
This summer, Halifax marked a milestone with the arrival of Sable Island gas for use by the city's downtown core. In addition to offshore natural gas developments such as Sable and the forthcoming Deep Panuke project and the some of the highest tides in the planet, Nova Scotia boasts world-class wind resources as well.
Dooks says tidal energy could prove to be the magic bullet that helps the province produce massive amounts of power without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, Nova Scotia has the potential to become a technological leader in much the same way Denmark became a world leader in wind turbines.
"We want the best technology for the Bay of Fundy," he says. "We need to know which machines can survive the enormous force of our tides, what kind of power they can deliver and what impact, if any, they have on our environment."
In addition, the province is pouring money into research and development to encourage more offshore drilling on its deepwater shelf. Over the past 18 months the government has allocated $6-million worth of R&D grants to encourage exploration drilling.
But the biggest success story could be in New Brunswick - home to 1.5 moose for each one of its 750,000 citizens - which is fast becoming the onshore energy hub of the Maritimes, thanks to a diverse array of new infrastructure projects including Canada's first LNG offloading terminal, the country's first new oil refinery in three decades and a pair of new Candu reactors at Point Lepreau that will make it the largest nuclear province after Ontario.
"Everybody sees Atlantic Canada differently out West," says New Brunswick Energy Minister Jack Keir.
"I know that because every time I'm out in Calgary and we're at a tavern having a beer and talking to the local folks, they just don't get the opportunities that are out here.
"I believe that perception is wrong," he continues. "They just don't get it."
Whereas Alberta has been blessed with an embarrassment of riches - including the largest known oil reserves outside the Middle East - the Maritimes have had to scratch and claw for everything they have, whether it's fish from the sea or harnessing power from the wind.
According to Kevin Scott, Irving Oil's refining director in Saint John, the region's key competitive advantage is its geography.
New Brunswick's pre-eminent refiner is planning to double the capacity of its Saint John facility to 600,000 barrels a day of which 525,000 barrels would be exported.
If it goes ahead, it would be Canada's first refinery since Shell Canada built the Scotford refinery outside Edmonton in 1984 and one of the largest facilities in North America.
"What's driven our success and potential to expand is our location," he says. "We're as close here as any refinery on the Gulf Coast to major supply centres and markets."
http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=81355&sc=89
BY SHAUN POLCZER
CanWest News Service
The wind is howling over the lookout in Newfoundland's Come By Chance as gigantic supertankers ply the frigid waters of Placentia Bay, carrying cargoes of crude oil to offloading terminals at the base of the craggy rocks.
After decades of relying on handouts to sustain itself, the tides are shifting all across Atlantic Canada as the region struggles to regain control of its economic destiny.
None more so than Newfoundland, which has emerged as Canada's leading producer of light conventional oil.
A decade ago, Alan Brown was Hibernia's operations manager, inaugurating Canada's first big offshore project. This July he returned to the Rock as Petro-Canada's newly minted offshore boss.
Coming back to St. John's, he's struck by the changes that have taken place in the restaurants and coffee shops - and on the high seas, which will boast four world-class fields when Hebron comes on-stream.
"There's a deeper-rooted prosperity now," he insists. "What struck me coming back is that the prosperity isn't surface thin. There's actually the beginnings of a strong inertia, a strong critical mass.
"There's potential and opportunity to be tapped here," he says. "The expertise and prospects are as good as any in the world and I've been to most oil basins in the world. It's so important to Canada and the province, as well as the company."
Though Alberta accounts for 80 per cent of the nation's oil-and-gas production, Atlantic Canada is rapidly becoming a polar axis of big offshore projects, refineries, liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and nuclear power plants.
In Newfoundland, a consortium of multinational oil companies led by Chevron set aside their differences with the province's political leadership to pave the way for the $6-billion Hebron offshore oil development. This year, the province's oil royalties could top $1 billion for the first time, up from about $386 million in 2006.
With the Hebron deal, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams says the province is on a roll - it's more than just a mantra; it's his mission.
"I stay focused and just keep moving forward. And we're gettin' there. I'm delighted with the way things are going right now."
The energy is being felt in Nova Scotia, which is leveraging some of the highest tides in the world on the Bay of Fundy to lead the development of the next generation of tidal power. More than 100 billion tonnes of seawater flow in and out of the bay twice a day and the U.S.-based Electric Power Research Institute identifies the inlet as perhaps the most potent site for tidal generation in North America, and indeed the world.
When fully developed, in-stream tidal technology has the potential to generate 300 megawatts of clean, green electricity - enough to power 100,000 homes.
What differentiates the East Coast from Alberta is the diversity of its prospects, says former Nova Scotia energy minister Bill Dooks.
This summer, Halifax marked a milestone with the arrival of Sable Island gas for use by the city's downtown core. In addition to offshore natural gas developments such as Sable and the forthcoming Deep Panuke project and the some of the highest tides in the planet, Nova Scotia boasts world-class wind resources as well.
Dooks says tidal energy could prove to be the magic bullet that helps the province produce massive amounts of power without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, Nova Scotia has the potential to become a technological leader in much the same way Denmark became a world leader in wind turbines.
"We want the best technology for the Bay of Fundy," he says. "We need to know which machines can survive the enormous force of our tides, what kind of power they can deliver and what impact, if any, they have on our environment."
In addition, the province is pouring money into research and development to encourage more offshore drilling on its deepwater shelf. Over the past 18 months the government has allocated $6-million worth of R&D grants to encourage exploration drilling.
But the biggest success story could be in New Brunswick - home to 1.5 moose for each one of its 750,000 citizens - which is fast becoming the onshore energy hub of the Maritimes, thanks to a diverse array of new infrastructure projects including Canada's first LNG offloading terminal, the country's first new oil refinery in three decades and a pair of new Candu reactors at Point Lepreau that will make it the largest nuclear province after Ontario.
"Everybody sees Atlantic Canada differently out West," says New Brunswick Energy Minister Jack Keir.
"I know that because every time I'm out in Calgary and we're at a tavern having a beer and talking to the local folks, they just don't get the opportunities that are out here.
"I believe that perception is wrong," he continues. "They just don't get it."
Whereas Alberta has been blessed with an embarrassment of riches - including the largest known oil reserves outside the Middle East - the Maritimes have had to scratch and claw for everything they have, whether it's fish from the sea or harnessing power from the wind.
According to Kevin Scott, Irving Oil's refining director in Saint John, the region's key competitive advantage is its geography.
New Brunswick's pre-eminent refiner is planning to double the capacity of its Saint John facility to 600,000 barrels a day of which 525,000 barrels would be exported.
If it goes ahead, it would be Canada's first refinery since Shell Canada built the Scotford refinery outside Edmonton in 1984 and one of the largest facilities in North America.
"What's driven our success and potential to expand is our location," he says. "We're as close here as any refinery on the Gulf Coast to major supply centres and markets."
http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=81355&sc=89