Natural Resources Minister in US to promote energy cooperation

9th September 2013 By: Henry Lazenby - Creamer Media Deputy Editor: North America

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Canada’s Natural Resources Minister, Joe Oliver, on Monday met with US Secretary of Energy Dr Ernest Moniz to discuss the Canada/US energy relationship and opportunities for future cooperation.

Infrastructure such as the Keystone XL pipeline to transport unconventional oil and gas between the countries formed part of the discussions.

Oliver reinforced Canada's position as the largest and most responsible energy supplier to the US, and Canada's interest in enhancing North American energy security, jobs and environmental protection.

“Canada and the US share the largest, most secure and significant energy relationship in the world. Enhancing our bilateral energy collaboration will strengthen economic opportunity, energy security and environmental responsibility,” he said in a statement.

Moniz and Oliver discussed ways in which the US Energy and the Canadian Natural Resources Ministries could enhance their level of collaboration on energy and environmental issues. Potential areas included maintaining safe and modern energy infrastructure, supporting efficient energy use, exerting joint global leadership on energy and environmental issues, and developing unconventional oil and gas resources responsibly.

Canada is desperately seeking alternative oil transport networks to its inadequate rail infrastructure to boost an industry that last year accounted for C$100-billion in exports of oil and natural gas, Al Monaco, the country’s largest pipeline operator Enbridge’s president and CEO, said earlier this year at a Bloomberg Canada Economic Summit, in Toronto.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government is doing everything it can to lobby US officials to approve new cross-border crude oil shipments.

Oliver indicated that Canada had taken aggressive action to build on its exemplary record of environmental stewardship. Measures taken to date include banning coal-fired plants using traditional technology and decreasing oil sands emissions by 26% a barrel from 1990 to 2011. In fact, 77% of Canada’s electricity mix is generated from non-emitting sources.

“Canada supports the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline because it is in the national interest of both our countries. It would enhance energy security, create thousands of jobs and generate significant revenue for governments to support critical social programmes.

“Approval would displace oil from Venezuela, which had repeatedly threatened to cut off its supply to the US and has the same or higher emissions as the oil sands, with less stringent regulations. The US State Department also concluded that Keystone XL will not have a significant impact on global greenhouse-gas emissions,” Oliver said.

He added that the two nations’ shared commitment to democracy, free markets and the rule of law underpinned why Canada and the US have the world’s most successful commercial relationship, about $2-billion in trade every day.

“Our government looks forward to working with the US and Secretary Moniz to strengthen our energy relationship, realise shared economic benefits, advance energy security and improve environmental protection,” Oliver said.