Letter from Canada: Alberta’s petchems strategy could backfire
The Kenney administration seems to be ignoring any warning signs on future demand growth
The Alberta government has tried numerous times to diversify away from oil and gas since the oil price shocks of the 1970s made the industry the mainstay of the provincial economy. Most efforts were dismal failures—including a mobile phone company, a hazardous waste treatment plant, a pulp mill and a magnesium smelter. Those failures have led to recent administrations pursuing other avenues to diversify the economy within the energy sector itself, in particular the petrochemical industry. The provincial administrations of Premier Jason Kenney and his predecessor, Rachel Notley, have rolled out several programmes to encourage companies to build new plants in the province. Edmonton appears t
Also in this section
9 January 2026
OPEC+ remains on track as output falls, with only Gabon failing to hit its output targets in December, although Kazakhstan’s compliance was involuntary
9 January 2026
The Latin American producer’s crude prospects rely on a multi-pronged approach where even the relatively easy wins will take considerable time, effort and cost
9 January 2026
While many forecasters are reasserting the importance of oil and gas, petrostates should be under no illusion things are changing, and faster than they might think
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
