The BC LNG Alliance has a new member, one that is setting its sights directly on Prince Rupert.
Exxonmobil, one of the partners in the WCC LNG terminal proposed for Lot 444 on Tuck Inlet, has joined its industry counterparts in pushing for what alliance president David Keane called a "safe, environmentally responsible and socially responsible LNG industry in British Columbia".
"ExxonMobil is one of the world's leading corporations and it has been granted an export licence from the National Energy Board and has an option on a piece of foreshore on Tuck Inlet. As you can see, the LNG Alliance is made up of industry leaders who bring decades of experience, insight and best practices to British Columbia. They also bring to B.C. a binding commitment of safety, environmental stewardship, community engagement and investment," Keane said at the Nov. 19 meeting of the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce.
And while the alliance has grown to seven project proponents — Exxonmobil, the BG Group, Pacific NorthWest LNG, Triton LNG, Kitimat LNG, Woodfibre LNG and LNG Canada — Keane again warned that B.C. must be "globally competitive" if it hopes to see positive investment decisions.
"Since the launch of the alliance we have seen the introduction of the LNG tax and greenhouse gas legislation. While our members appreciate the government revisiting its original tax structure, we still need certainty and clarity on how these two critical pieces of legislation will be implemented. The regulations have not yet been written," he said, alluding to the many taxes and fees the industry will have to pay.
"For our LNG projects to be viable we need to strike the right balance that enables British Columbians to receive fair value for the sale of their resources while, at the same time, recognizing the enormous technical and financial challenges of very large and complex projects with significant risk."