Pacific Future Energy announces partnership for proposed North Coast Oil refinery

The proponent of what has been described as the world's greenest oil refinery on Canada's west coast made a fairly significant announcement today, as Pacific Future Energy expanded on the creation of a partnership to move forward their plans for refinery development near Prince Rupert.

In a statement released today, Pacific Future Energy outlined the background on their partnership with the First Nations Business group A-in-Chut Business Group and the engineering company SNC Lavalin, offering up the first update on their plans since earlier this year.

A-in-Chut Business Group is a First Nations business investment group which features Shawn Atleo, the former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations as one of its principles. Mr. Atleo is also listed as a member of the management team at the company, noted as the Senior Advisor for Partnerships with Pacific Future Energy.

The nature of today's announcement highlights the process ahead to assist in pre-engineering work on the terminal project, while building on and supporting First Nation partnerships in the development.

 “PFEC’s goal is to provide access to the Asian market for Canada’s bitumen, while protecting British Columbia’s Pacific coast, by building the world’s greenest refinery, in full partnership with First Nations ... We also believe that community support must be earned before – not after — finalizing our plans. For one of Canada’s oldest engineering firms to agree with this approach and work with A-in-Chut Business Group to invest in this development process is a strong vote of confidence.” -- Robert Delamar, Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Future Energy Corporation, outlining the background to this mornings announcement

For its part the A-in-Chut Business Group noted the nature of change that the project could deliver to the region and beyond.

"This refinery will be transformative and innovative in both the approach and the technology. First and foremost, we recognize and respect the role of First Nations partners and their rights and title in resource development. We will work in full partnership with our First Nations partners, as Nations, to build a responsible, sustainable project that includes our collective values and our interests"-- Mike Bonshor President, A-in-Cut Business Group.

Bringing SNC-Lavalin, a major industrial engineering firm onboard for the project is also fairly significant development for the terminal project.

With the firm set to bring its experience when it comes to large industrial projects to the North Coast, offering up perhaps the first indication that the refinery plan may yet move forward towards the development stage in the region.

“SNC-Lavalin is very pleased to be a part of a project that will contribute to the important imperative of bringing Canadian resources to markets and produce one of the most energy efficient refineries ever built,” said Robert G. Card, President and Chief Executive Officer, SNC-Lavalin. “We are proud to be associated with PFEC and together with our First Nations partners, advance the project. This project will help open up Asian markets for Canada’s energy sector, while building key infrastructure on Canada’s west coast.” --- Robert G. Card, President and Chief Executive Officer, SNC-Lavalin.

An infographic from the Pacific
Future Energy website
notes the scope of the project

Today's announcement is the first major update on the proposed terminal to be seen since January, though Pacific Future Energy did make an interesting addition to their advisory board in May.

Bringing onboard Mr. Dave Coles, a well known face in the labour movement as an advisor the company, with the May announcement of his addition to the Board, highlighting the prospect of long term jobs that a  refined in Canada terminal could offer the region and the west.

To this point a location for the proposed terminal has not been outlined by Pacific Future Energy and the company has yet to provide much background on their plans to the community either by way of an Open House or community engagement session.

More information related to the Pacific Future Energy plans can be found from their website.

You can also review more background and media notes on the proposed Terminal project from our archive page here.

Pacific Future is one of two proposed oil shipment terminals that have been suggested for the North Coast, Eagle Spirit Energy has also been in the news of late, putting forward their plans for a terminal development in the region, a proposal that has proven to be somewhat controversial in the community of Lax Kw'alaams.

You can review the background on the Eagle Spirit proposal here.

Also in the mix in the Northwest, is the Kitimat Clean oil refinery proposal, the project championed by newspaper publisher David Black would see bitumen refined in Kitimat for shipment to Asian markets, though of late there has not been much in the way of updates provided on that proposed development.