Alberta premier heads to New York with message about Canadian gas, oil

Gary Park

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein headed to New York on Oct. 11, to assure Americans that his province can be relied on to meet their demands for natural gas, especially in the northeastern region.

Klein’s office said he received an urgent request from energy sector leaders in New York to discuss Alberta’s increasing importance, given its vast oil sands deposits, in the North American energy equation.

Klein said he would be honored to both express Albertans’ “heartfelt condolences to New Yorkers and to deliver a message of reassurance to the people of the region.

“Albertans have urged my government to assist the New York area in anyway we can and ensuring security of energy supply has been identified by the Americans as one very real way Alberta can help,” he said.

Klein will meet with representatives from natural gas distributors, utility companies and other energy related groups.

A spokesman for Klein said Americans are especially concerned about natural gas supplies to the Atlantic seaboard as winter approaches because “a significant amount” arrives in tankers.

“What they’re looking for is how Alberta can help if the liquid gas coming by sea is delayed,” the spokesman said.

Alberta produces more than 80 percent of Canada’s oil and gas, of which more than half is exported.