Alberta proposes a new refinery as Enbridge plans to raise WCS shipments

摘要

The Canadian province's Premier, Rachel Notley, announced on Dec. 11 that the government is looking for private-sector interest in a new refinery in Alberta. She asserted that the addition of refining capacity-whether at new facilities or expansions of existing plants-will help alleviate the steep price discounts on crude production in the province. "We know companies are interested-we've heard it first-hand-so we are stepping up," Ms. Notley said, but no firm details were revealed regarding how the government might support the project. She also stated that any planned refinery "must diversify how we use the energy resources that we as Albertans all own. We need to see jobs for Albertans, we need to see participation from Indigenous communities, and we need to see sound engineering designs and financial plans." The Alberta government is looking for business plans with detailed project timing, strategies for feedstock acquisition, and expectations for government involvement. Proposals will be accepted through Feb. 8; then, the government will evaluate its next steps. Opposition party politicians were quick to criticize what some referred to as a "non-announcement" that was made to appear to be taking action ahead of the 2019 election.