The Montreal Economic Institute just released a poll asking Quebecers about oil. Two to one Quebecers want to develop their local oil not imports.  A similar poll in June found that even higher numbers of Quebecers want to develop their own natural gas and to stop imports. Outside of the urban areas where developments actually happen, Quebecers are three to

Cenovus Energy Ltd under its new leader Alex Pourbaix advanced an interesting idea that was not universally accepted.  It should have been.  No one would argue our energy industry is long on oil and gas supply these days, but some might say we are short on ideas about what to do about it. To solve the problem of oil and

I have had a few queries about my thoughts are on the Quebec election.  You may not have asked but here they are any way. First, it’s a convincing win for Premier elect Legault, with 38% of the popular vote in a competitive four way race.  This is not far off what the federal Liberals achieved to win a three

There may not be social acceptability for the exploitation of natural gas in Quebec. What we can be sure of, is the Government of Quebec did not meet its own standards for social acceptability by imposing a moratorium on any meaningful natural gas development in Quebec.  To be sure they have left a window open for possible new discoveries, but

The issue recently in the press relating to the distance between oil and gas wells and water wells is about something.  But we can be sure it’s not about the water. The science on this is clear.  The comprehensive studies have been done by scientists,  in Quebec as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), and also in the United

Maybe Canada’s greatest living speaker     Greatest Canadian living speaker – that’s certainly what Troy Lanigan, the President of the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation, calls the Honorable Stockwell Day.   He just spoke at the CEEA Midyear Update (Oilmen’s) and a sold-out room at the Petroleum Club was no evidence to the contrary.   For twenty-five minutes Stockwell gave the room

Let me preface by saying that the greenhouse effect is real.  Therefore, I am for sensible policies that reduce global emissions.   Sadly, carbon taxes aren’t a sensible policy if our goal is to reduce global emissions.   They cost too much and do too little.   So how did we go so wrong on carbon taxes? Carbon taxation was originally a right-wing,

I moderated a panel of some of the conservative movement’s most knowledgeable climate policy experts at Manning last Saturday. The panel, entitled “Development and Sustainability,” featured Mark Cameron from Canadians for Clean Prosperity, The Hon. Ed Fast (Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change), Jeff Gaulin from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and David McLaughlin, the Government of Manitoba’s

We have a new Resources Minister in Quebec.  Everyone is interested what changes this will mean for our file in Quebec.  Not least our opponents. The Minister has repeated clearly the widely held belief there is no social acceptability for fracking in Quebec.   The last Minister and the Premier said the same thing.   Let’s be clear: industry and myself also

The annual Quebec Oil and Gas Conference will open in Montreal with a cocktail at 5pm, Sunday October 29th.  Our theme is how a new kind of oil and gas company is how we will get back to the future for oil & gas in Quebec. In early 2011 telling someone in Quebec that frac’ing would be good for society was