The oil price crash of recent weeks has triggered a wave of huge exploration and production capital expenditure cuts
Lack of appetite to invest in the energy sector is leading the world into a supply crunch, says the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its recently unveiled World Energy Investment (WEI) 2020 report. The COVID-19 pandemic is having widespread and often dramatic effects on investments in the energy sector. At the start of the year,…
How one University of Alberta student persevered after losing brother in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash
The loss of her brother in a horrific bus crash that killed 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team will never leave Mariko Boulet, but as she graduates with her University of Alberta degree on June 12, she hopes it will make her a better person. “I think I’ve become a more loving, understanding…
Oil sands extraction declined largely because of shutdowns and maintenance of some production facilities. Crude oil extraction also falls
The natural resources sector in Canada continues to be challenged. A new report released Friday by Statistics Canada said real gross domestic product (GDP) of the natural resources sector fell 2.2 per cent in the third quarter, following a 2.8 per cent rise in the second quarter. The federal agency said the decline was largely…
Limited cash flow also a concern for business owners when it comes to investing in their companies these days, according to BDC survey
Many Canadian entrepreneurs will continue investing in their companies in 2020 despite growing uncertainty about world economies. But business owners in the Prairies are the most pessimistic, mostly because of low commodity prices and limited cash flow, says the latest annual survey by BDC. The study on investment intentions found that entrepreneurs in the manufacturing…
Alberta produced 18.3 million cubic metres of crude oil and equivalent products in October, down 4.9 per cent
Energy production in Canada declined in several sectors in October 2019, compared with the same month in 2018, according to Statistics Canada. The federal agency said production of crude oil and equivalent products (-1.7 per cent), natural gas (-1.3 per cent), and coal (-9.3 per cent), as well as electricity generation (-3.3 per cent) declined…
Fell by 35 per cent in Alberta, 1.9 per cent in Manitoba and by 1.4 per cent in Saskatchewan
A cold, wet spring and summer on the Prairies took a devastating toll on honey production this year in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Statistics Canada reports. Production in Alberta, the largest honey-producing province in Canada, fell by 35 per cent to 25.1 million pounds, which was the lowest level since 2000, according to the federal…
Industry blames ‘punitive’ federal policies and regulations for its struggles
Following the federal election in October, the sentiment toward Canadian oil and gas is nearing all-time lows, says a report by the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors. The association says that since 2017 the industry has lost an estimated $30 billion in foreign capital, and companies continue layoffs and relocation efforts. It says its…
And StatsCan says exports of crude oil and equivalent products increased in March
Production in all primary energy sectors rose in March compared with a year ago, according to data released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. And over the same period, exports of crude oil and equivalent products increased, while exports of natural gas and electricity decreased. The federal agency said production of crude oil and equivalent products rose…
StatsCan study over 66 years provides insight into which provinces experienced the most growth over three generations
Data released Thursday by Statistics Canada may be a couple of years old but it illustrates the importance of the oil and gas sector to the economies of several provinces. “According to a new study, from 1950 to 2016, real gross domestic income (GDI) per capita grew fastest in provinces with large oil and gas…
A private insurance corporation would be better suited to take on any risk, instead of leaving taxpayers to bear losses
Ian Madsen and Alexandra Burnett Frontier Centre for Public Policy Many Crown corporations created long ago are showing signs that they’re no longer appropriate for life in evolving competitive markets. Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) may be one that’s outlived its purpose of providing vehicle insurance to Saskatchewan drivers. SGI is the monopoly owned by the…