Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Stewart's Blue Ocean Terminal seeks licence of Occupation for port proposal


The next step towards developing the Stewart area into a shipping hub continues this month as Blue Ocean Energy moves its application for a licence of occupation for a Terminal project at Marmot By ahead.

The application is the prelude to Blue Ocean Terminals filing for it's EA certificate and Environmental Impact statement, with an eye on a timeline to the start of construction in the Spring of 2020 and the launch of operations in 2023.

The path towards that EA certification will take the company through until April 2020 with the Environmental Assessment, Detailed Engineering study and permitting requirements all part of that process.

The proposed shipping terminal is designed to handle a range of commodity mixes with an initial focus on propane, methane, LNG, oil or natural gas.

As part of their proposal for the licence of occupation, Blue Ocean Terminal outlined four areas where they believe the project offers benefits to the Citizens of British Columbia.

Manage crown land in a way that provides certainty for industry to capture economic opportunities while enhancing Government priorities and producing broad public benefit.

Safeguard B.C.'s natural environment by managing land and natural resources in a way that considers long-term implications to the sustainability of resource values and communities.

Increase eco-system health by working collaboratively with multi-sector partner groups and First Nations to restore degraded ecosystems through activities such as ecosystem management, restoration, remediation and best management.

Strengthen Public Trust in natural resource management practices by promotion of values-based decision making principles and engaging with stakeholders and communities.

As well, Blue Ocean notes that there would be both regional and provincial benefits to their proposed development, noting how the company is committed to creating jobs and sustainable economic growth, while protecting the environment and supporting community needs.

Proposed site for a marine shipment terminal at Marmot Bay near Stewart BC



You can get a glimpse as to what the terminal operators have in mind from their application to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources here.

Should they receive approval for the project and move forward towards development, it would add another shipping resource to the Stewart area and provide for some competition for bulk goods that currently ship out of Prince Rupert.

It could also also appear to provide for competition for the City of Prince Rupert's future plans for development of Watson Island as a shipping point, Pembina resources is currently exploring the use of Watson for the shipment of Liquid propane to global markets.

The prospectus included as part of the application, notes the range of uses that could be put in place should the Blue Ocean project move to development, many of which mirror current shipment options through Prince Rupert.

Included in the application are a number of letters of support from a number of Stewart area business interests, who have indicated they welcome the proposed development to their community.

The project is led by a name familiar to the North Coast, with Phil Eidsvik, listed as the President, Operations and Business Development of Blue Ocean Energy and the main contact related to their application. Mr. Eidsvik has previously been involved with the Commercial Fishing industry both on the North Coast and in Lower Mainland area of the province.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations until July 27th as part of the comment period related to this application.

Those with an interest in the proposal can participate in that process, here.

The Blue Ocean plan is just the latest proposal for the Stewart area, a glimpse at some of the previous concepts can be found below:


July 2015 -- Stewart World Port submits land use application for proposed barge anchorage
March 2014 -- Stewart looks for a share of LNG opportunity


With the growing interest in the Stewart area for shipping terminal development, we've added that location to our inventory of Industrial development notes here.


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