New hope in sight for end to B.C. offshore moratorium

Gary Park

Petroleum News Calgary Correspondent

The new Canadian government has raised hopes that ending the ban on exploration of British Columbia’s offshore could be on the horizon.

In opening a new session of Parliament Feb. 2, the government said it would place “increased emphasis ... on opportunities to maximize the potential of our vast coastal and offshore areas through a new oceans action plan.”

B.C. Energy and Mines Minister Richard Neufeld interpreted that commitment as movement towards lifting the 32-year moratorium on oil and gas activities in the Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound area.

He assumed the federal government was signaling its intention to “look seriously at offshore oil and gas and make a decision.”

Neufeld said his department is currently drafting regulations in anticipation that the federal bad will be removed.

Meantime, an expert panel of the Royal Society of Canada has been examining the moratorium and will deliver its findings to the Canadian government this month.

Russ Hellberg, the new chairman of the Pacific Offshore Energy Association, a non-profit group that is one of the strongest advocates of oil and gas development, welcomed the scrutiny of environmental groups.

He said they provide a “great service ... they make us think so that things get done properly.”

Hellberg said the association is also taking steps to ensure that all communities on Vancouver Island enjoy the economic benefits if exploration does proceed, unlike Canada’s East Coast which got “very parochial” about its offshore development.