How will we get oil and gas to external markets?

Alberta treasures 97.3% of Canada’s proven oil reserves. More than that, 99% of all Canadian oil exports are shipped to America; less than 1% of our exports are shipped to other countries. 

As such, it’s immediately evident that an independent Alberta would have no difficulty shipping oil to markets where it’s already traded today. 

An independent Alberta would be able to ship more voluminous quantities of oil, not less. This is because we are not presently landlocked, but policy-locked. Regulatory holdup and intrusive government handcuff our ability to construct pipelines necessary to meet our shipping capacity. As such, we currently transport some of our oil by rail, but this is expensive and outmodedFurther, we are required to sell our heavy oil at a discount to offset the cost of shipping.

However, an independent Alberta regulatory framework would facilitate the development of both new upgraders to refine our oil, as well as new pipelines, both of which mitigate environmental concerns, as well as increase the price of oil to WTI prices.  New upgraders and a new regulatory structure will also stimulate investment.  

Unlike our Federal Government which has funded environmental NGOs to stop the development and transport of Alberta hydrocarbons, a new Aberta government would need to champion our hydrocarbon industry to be elected. Industry would then be freed to exercise all the technology, capital, and investment required to succeed, including state of the art carbon capture. In fact, considering 100% of the Indigenous tribes in northern BC have approved the Northern Gateway Pipeline, it’s probable an independent Alberta would be able to negotiate and complete the pipeline.  

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 under article 124 and 124 gives landlocked countries international leverage for access to tidewater, just like Switzerland.  Further, an Independent Alberta would not be without power and control. If Alberta was denied access to tidewater, Alberta could impose massive and crippling tariffs on goods and services passing east and west across our borders. If necessary, Alberta could even block passage altogether, including overflights. Therefore, it would not be in the best interests of the rest of Canada to embargo Alberta.  And were it the case that Northern BC, and Saskatchewan and Manitoba joined Alberta, we would have access to tidewater on the west coast, or via Churchill on the Hudson Bay, or both.

In conclusion, shipping our oil to market in an independent Alberta is not a concern. Rather, an independent Alberta is the cure for the denied transport and marketability damaging our oil industry right now.  

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