Tourmaline Oil joins proposed Pacific LNG terminal in major boost to project

Canada's largest natural gas producer

A proposed liquefied natural gas export terminal on Canada’s Pacific Coast is getting a major boost as Tourmaline Oil Corp. — the country’s largest natural gas producer — agreed to join the project.

Tourmaline said late Aug. 2 that it’s joining Rockies LNG, a group of producers working on the 12 million-metric-ton-per-year Ksi Lisims project on the northern edge of British Columbia’s Pacific coast. Rockies LNG’s members produce a combined 5.6 billion cubic feet per day, about a third of the country’s output. The Nisga’a Nation indigenous group and Texas-based Western LNG also are involved.

Financial Post

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Exclusive articles by Kevin Carmichael, Victoria Wells, Jake Edmiston, Gabriel Friedman and others.
  • Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
  • Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Exclusive articles by Kevin Carmichael, Victoria Wells, Jake Edmiston, Gabriel Friedman and others.
  • Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
  • Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

REGISTER TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account.
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
  • Enjoy additional articles per month.
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Don't have an account? Create Account

or
View more offers
If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now

Canadian gas drillers have often suffered from low prices because of constrained export options, and Tourmaline has been a leader in devising new routes to market its output. The company earlier this year began selling the first significant amount of Canadian gas contracted for markets beyond North America.

“We are the largest gas producer and a low-cost potential supplier, and we’re investment grade,” Tourmaline chief executive officer Michael Rose said of his company’s contribution to the Ksi Lisims project on a call with analysts on Aug. 3. “We’re excited, and we’re going to do everything we can to drive that project to fruition.”

Canada’s Montney shale formation — stretching from Alberta into British Columbia — is one of the largest gas resources in North America, with the potential to produce almost 450 trillion cubic feet of gas. Tourmaline produced the equivalent of about 495,900 barrels of oil per day in the second quarter, a figure that was reduced by about three per cent because of fires in the area.

The Shell PLC-led LNG Canada project, also in British Columbia, is on track to begin shipping cargoes by the middle of the decade. The plant is estimated to cost $40 billion, and its first phase is expected to produce about 14 million metric tons a year.

Bloomberg.com