Good news….At last !
Finally some good news The Quebec Government has made several announcements over the past few weeks that affect hydrocarbon development in the province. I was at the National Assembly for the recent budget, on June 4th, and it’s clear the government is supporting resource development including oil and gas. We especially welcome the end of […]
We don’t know enough
The Council of Canadian Academies just issued their report on fracing. The report implies that Quebec might be the model for the best way forward. A quote from the report: “The Panel notes that the research needed to support improved science-based decisions concerning cumulative environmental impacts has not yet begun, except in Quebec, and is unlikely to occur […]
First iPhone arrived in 2007
Technology changes incredibly fast. Industry first introduced fracing technology to Quebec in 2007. That is the same year Apple introduced the iPhone . In 2013 it launched the iPhone 5 which is the seventh generation of iPhones in just six years. Due to a moratorium, the last well fraced in Quebec was in 2009. But […]
I wish someone would ask me
For some time now opponents of local natural gas development in Quebec have said with low gas prices it’s not economic. Ergo we shouldn’t develop it. It begs the question: if it’s really not economic to develop, why spend any time or effort opposing it? With their days work done, why don’t they just grab […]
Just do it or just stop it
When a Nike ad on TV says ‘just do it’ I usually think maybe I should get off the couch.. After our Utica discovery, the oil and gas industry said ‘just do it” but people weren’t too motivated. Instead the forces of ‘just stop it’ had a field day with us. The Quebec Oil and […]
Hidden influence
The Quebec Commission recently published a report on lobbyists. One of their key recommendations is based on an idea out of the blue: the idea that everyone who lobbies is a lobbyist. The Commission exposes that the very same people, who constantly repeat how industry has dozens of lobbyists, are living in glass houses. While […]
I remember
I have not been so nervous to make a speech in more than twenty years. I remember my history, my ancestors, and my passing. The weight of all I remember as a Canadian faced me, as I sat to give my testimony, in the Red Room of the National Assembly. The figures in the painting […]
Poisoning the earth
Le Devoir reports that a group of Quebec environmentalists wrote a letter to provoke Michael Binnion on the occasion of the Quebec Oil and Gas Conference. I am blogging on it so consider me provoked. They accuse my industry of wanting to poison the environment. They then say that their accusation is based on the […]
The Fifth Annual QOGA Conference
People are always asking me what’s going on with oil and gas in Quebec with the clear expectation that the answer is probably not much. Surprisingly quite a lot is happening in Quebec. The response to our annual conference from industry insiders is testament to that. We have a stronger line up of speakers than […]
French in 30 days
I learned French in 30 days. Well not really. It’s probably fairer to say I’m still trying to perfect my English. Over two years ago I embarked on a tour of Quebec to give translated presentations on our industry to what was then quite a hostile population. Unexpectedly these presentations, while emotionally draining, were surprisingly […]