Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith before the signing of their MOU
Canada’s Asian pivot faces hurdles
The federal government is working with Alberta to improve the country’s access to Asian markets and reduce dependence on the US, but there are challenges to their plans
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in November outlining key energy initiatives, including a new pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific. The project is designed to reduce dependence on the US by increasing access to Asian growth markets and aims to narrow heavy crude price differentials against global benchmarks. Opponents warn the plan faces significant challenges, including the tanker moratorium on British Columbia’s northern coast, Indigenous consent requirements and complex regulatory hurdles. In addition to the pipeline, the MOU also covers a large-scale carbon capture venture and the development of nuclear pow
Also in this section
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
6 March 2026
After Europe’s rapid buildout of floating LNG import capacity, Exmar CEO Carl-Antoine Saverys says future growth in floating gas infrastructure will increasingly be driven by developing markets as lower prices, rising energy demand and the need to replace coal unlock new opportunities for unconventional and tailor-made solutions
