Latest news with #Pathways'
Edmonton Journal
08-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Varcoe: Smith, Moe welcome PM's confidence that oil pipeline will make Ottawa's major project wish list
Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean says a new oil pipeline from the province to the Port of Prince Rupert would cost an estimated $20 billion to $25 billion to build, and he's growing optimistic about it being included on Ottawa's new major projects list. Article content Premier Danielle Smith is welcoming Prime Minister Mark Carney's comment on the weekend that it's 'highly, highly likely' such a project will be put on the fast-track list for approval — and she hopes to have a proposal backed by private-sector proponents in place by this fall. Article content Article content And the premier's pipeline concept would be linked with a huge carbon capture network in northern Alberta, proposed by the Pathways Alliance group of oilsands producers, also making the federal list. Article content Article content 'I really like the optimism of the prime minister, recognizing how important this project is,' Jean said Monday on the sidelines of the premier's annual Stampede breakfast at McDougall Centre. Article content 'We've got indications that it's going to cost somewhere around $20 (billion) to $25 billion — that's not a big number, as long as the conditions are right.' Article content On Saturday, Carney said it's likely an oil pipeline to the West Coast will make the list of nationally important developments on the major projects list, which is being assembled by the federal government. Article content Under the newly passed Bill C-5, the federal government can accelerate necessary approvals for such initiatives. Article content Article content 'Given the scale of the economic opportunity, the resources we have, the expertise we have, that it is highly, highly likely that we will have an oil pipeline that is a proposal for one of these projects of national interest,' the prime minister said in an interview with the Calgary Herald. Article content Article content She's speaking with pipeline proponents about what it would take to get them on board to build such a line, and with oilsands producers about proceeding with their proposed carbon capture project, which has been pegged at $16.5 billion. Article content In recent weeks, Alberta's premier has talked about striking a grand bargain that would see federal approval of the Pathways' carbon capture network along with a major oil pipeline to the B.C. coast.
Calgary Herald
08-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Varcoe: Smith, Moe welcome PM's confidence that oil pipeline will make Ottawa's major project wish list
Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean says a new oil pipeline from the province to the Port of Prince Rupert would cost an estimated $20 billion to $25 billion to build, and he's growing optimistic about it being included on Ottawa's new major projects list. Article content Premier Danielle Smith is welcoming Prime Minister Mark Carney's comment on the weekend that it's 'highly, highly likely' such a project will be put on the fast-track list for approval — and she hopes to have a proposal backed by private-sector proponents in place by this fall. Article content Article content And the premier's pipeline concept would be linked with a huge carbon capture network in northern Alberta, proposed by the Pathways Alliance group of oilsands producers, also making the federal list. Article content Article content Slowly, but surely, the puzzle pieces of an energy deal are being assembled. Article content 'I really like the optimism of the prime minister, recognizing how important this project is,' Jean said Monday on the sidelines of the premier's annual Stampede breakfast at McDougall Centre. Article content 'We've got indications that it's going to cost somewhere around $20 (billion) to $25 billion — that's not a big number, as long as the conditions are right.' Article content On Saturday, Carney said it's likely an oil pipeline to the West Coast will make the list of nationally important developments on the major projects list, which is being assembled by the federal government. Article content Under the newly passed Bill C-5, the federal government can accelerate necessary approvals for such initiatives. Article content Article content 'Given the scale of the economic opportunity, the resources we have, the expertise we have, that it is highly, highly likely that we will have an oil pipeline that is a proposal for one of these projects of national interest,' the prime minister said in an interview with the Calgary Herald. Article content Article content She's speaking with pipeline proponents about what it would take to get them on board to build such a line, and with oilsands producers about proceeding with their proposed carbon capture project, which has been pegged at $16.5 billion. Article content In recent weeks, Alberta's premier has talked about striking a grand bargain that would see federal approval of the Pathways' carbon capture network along with a major oil pipeline to the B.C. coast.
Edmonton Journal
06-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Varcoe: Carney says it's 'highly likely' an oil pipeline will make Ottawa's major project list
Article content At a first ministers' meeting last month, the premiers called for the country to work urgently to get its natural resources to market, including 'decarbonized Canadian oil and gas by pipelines.' Smith has pitched the idea of a 'grand bargain' that would see approval of Pathways' foundational project with a pipeline to the B.C. coast. Article content 'It is much more attractive if we're shipping decarbonized barrels, effectively, so that there's some . . . coming together of Pathways and new oil exports,' Carney said. Article content 'I don't want to be overly strict about what this can look like. It's not for me to set out a series of preconditions because this really is a process of collaboration, working together. But without question, Pathways happening — Pathways happening at scale — is very attractive for a variety of reasons.' Article content Article content 'Yeah, that does rise towards the level of nation-building, because we're building a new industry and it unlocks other things,' he added. Article content Officials with Pathways Alliance declined to comment on Saturday. Article content Alberta's premier also showed up at Saturday's pancake breakfast, outside a United Brotherhood of Carpenters' hall, and briefly bumped into the prime minister. Article content In a later interview, Smith welcomed Carney's comments that an oil pipeline will likely make the federal list, and his remarks on the merits of the carbon capture initiative in the oilsands. Article content 'That's what I've been hoping to see,' Smith said. Article content 'I can see why our customers want a lower carbon product. It seems to me like those two projects together make perfect sense, and I'm hoping we can come to a deal on that.' Article content However, Smith believes several hurdles still need to be removed by the federal Liberal government before any new pipeline can gain the necessary investor and producer confidence. Article content Article content This would include changing the federal emissions cap on the oil and gas industry, the Impact Assessment Act, and the tanker ban off the northern B.C. coast. Article content Carney said the federal government wants to see more oil and gas produced, and decarbonized, in Canada. He suggested there would be ways to build projects and deal with the tanker ban. Article content
Calgary Herald
06-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Varcoe: Carney says it's 'highly likely' an oil pipeline will make Ottawa's major project list
Article content At a first ministers' meeting last month, the premiers called for the country to work urgently to get its natural resources to market, including 'decarbonized Canadian oil and gas by pipelines.' Smith has pitched the idea of a 'grand bargain' that would see approval of Pathways' foundational project with a pipeline to the B.C. coast. Article content 'It is much more attractive if we're shipping decarbonized barrels, effectively, so that there's some . . . coming together of Pathways and new oil exports,' Carney said. Article content 'I don't want to be overly strict about what this can look like. It's not for me to set out a series of preconditions because this really is a process of collaboration, working together. But without question, Pathways happening — Pathways happening at scale — is very attractive for a variety of reasons.' Article content Article content 'Yeah, that does rise towards the level of nation-building, because we're building a new industry and it unlocks other things,' he added. Article content Article content Officials with Pathways Alliance declined to comment on Saturday. Article content Alberta's premier also showed up at Saturday's pancake breakfast, outside a United Brotherhood of Carpenters' hall, and briefly bumped into the prime minister. Article content In a later interview, Smith welcomed Carney's comments that an oil pipeline will likely make the federal list, and his remarks on the merits of the carbon capture initiative in the oilsands. Article content 'That's what I've been hoping to see,' Smith said. Article content 'I can see why our customers want a lower carbon product. It seems to me like those two projects together make perfect sense, and I'm hoping we can come to a deal on that.' Article content However, Smith believes several hurdles still need to be removed by the federal Liberal government before any new pipeline can gain the necessary investor and producer confidence. Article content Article content This would include changing the federal emissions cap on the oil and gas industry, the Impact Assessment Act, and the tanker ban off the northern B.C. coast. Article content Carney said the federal government wants to see more oil and gas produced, and decarbonized, in Canada. He suggested there would be ways to build projects and deal with the tanker ban.
Calgary Herald
18-06-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Opinion: New day for Canada demands bold moves on low-carbon growth from industry and governments
Article content The first ministers' conference in Saskatoon earlier this month might be remembered as the moment Canadian politicians finally got on the same page about decarbonizing the energy sector. Article content To realize the vision of turning Canada into a low-carbon energy superpower, we now need the energy sector to step up. And we need provincial and federal governments to put more skin in the game to convince industry that big investments in decarbonization will be economical in the long term. Article content Article content Article content First, we need the oilsands majors to commit to building the proposed Pathways Alliance carbon capture project without further delay. Article content Article content The federal and Alberta governments have already offered to cover almost two-thirds of Pathways' capital costs, as well as setting up additional carrots and sticks to help get the project over the goal-line. They've also agreed on the need for new pipelines to tidewater that can substantially increase revenues. Article content A new climate of federal-provincial collaboration creates an opportunity for policy changes the companies want, such as cancelling the oil and gas emissions cap. Article content What are the Pathways companies waiting for? The time is now to strike a deal with governments and build the infrastructure that Canada's oil sector needs to remain competitive in a rapidly decarbonizing world. Article content Getting Pathways built quickly is critical to this goal and to Canada's larger low-carbon growth ambitions. The project would reduce emissions by 22 million tonnes per year, almost a third of the oilsands' total. It would set Canada's oil and gas sector on a virtually unstoppable trajectory to decarbonization. Article content Article content For years, trying to decarbonize the energy sector has been like pushing a boulder up a hill. Pathways could heave us over the top. Article content For their parts, the provincial and federal governments should build on their new-found spirit of co-operation to strengthen the country's industrial carbon pricing system. That will unleash not just Pathways but also a wave of other low-carbon projects. Article content Strong industrial carbon pricing eliminates the need for duplicate policies such as the oil and gas emissions cap, which has created friction between Alberta and the federal government. If Alberta is willing to get on board with carbon market reforms, then the federal government would be wise to cancel the cap.
