The COPs in the headline above refers to Canada’s Other Provinces. These are all the provinces that don’t get as much attention in the media as the Big Four (Ontario, Québec, British Columbia and Alberta).

The projects appearing in today’s list are mainly oil and gas related, with maybe an electric power component as well. There is also a coal-burning power station mentioned at the end, which distinguishes it from yesterday’s report on strictly hydro-powered stations.

(1) Hebron, Newfoundland: The Hebron offshore oil platform will be located in the Jeanne d’Arc basin, 350 kilometres to the east of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The field is expected to produce 150,000 to 170,000 barrels of oil per day, from total reserves of 400 to 700 million barrels. Chevron Canada will be the operator, with Exxon Mobil Canada and Petro Canada as the other partners. A construction start is anticipated for 2010. The total cost is estimated at $10 billion.

(2) Eider Rock Refinery, Saint John, New Brunswick: Irving Oil and BP Canada Energy Company are partnering in the Eider Rock refinery proposal for Saint John, New Brunswick. The expected output from this facility will be 300,000 barrels of petroleum per day. The cost has been estimated at $7 billion. The project is still subject to environmental approval, but the target start date for construction is 2011. The owners are hoping for first production by 2015.

(3) Keltic Petrochemicals Plant, Goldboro, Nova Scotia: Keltic Petrochemicals and Maple LNG (liquified natural gas) are planning a $4.6 billion project on the east coast of Nova Scotia, in Goldboro, to consist of a regasification plant and facilities to produce ethylene, polyethylene, propylene and polypropylene. There will also be a related cogeneration power plant. A construction start is expected this fall. Environmental approval has been lined up. Still outstanding, however, is a gas supply contract.

(4) Belle Plaine Polygeneration Plant, Saskatchewan: TransCanada Corporation and Saskatchewan Crown Investments Corporation are behind a $4.0 billion proposal to build a plant that will use petroleum as a feedstock to produce hydrogen, nitrogen, steam and carbon dioxide. In turn, these materials will be used for enhanced oil recovery and to make fertilizers. A feasibility study is underway, with detailed design expected to commence in mid-2008. The target date for first production is 2013. Belle Plaine is slightly west of Regina.

(5) Shand Power Station, Saskatchewan: This is somewhat of a pilot project since it proposes to generate 500 MWs of electric power through the “clean” use of coal. The site will be near Estevan and the estimated cost is $1.5 billion. SaskPower Corp. is the owner. Special mention was made of this project in February’s federal budget. Part of the purpose in undertaking this work will be to study and promote carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The Conservatives have committed $250 million of government funding to this exercise.

Alex Carrick

Find Canadian construction-related economic articles in Canadian Construction Market News and in the Economic Outlook section of Daily Commercial News.

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