“When we see some of the Canadian targets around methane reduction, they are going to be met largely by investments by oilfield companies in and around the Lloydminster area. And that’s one example of the innovation that has been going on for decades in this area, in the oil industry in western Canada, and it’s innovation that is most certainly going to continue,” says Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe as he spoke to reporters at the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show.
Moe in commending the oil sector added that the province has reduced methane emissions in the energy sector by 60 per cent relative to 2015, and in the Lloydminster area he says that reduction is coming mainly from thermal projects.
He went on to state that since the carbon content of a barrel of Saskatchewan oil is lower than the global average, as well a tonne of potash has nearly half less carbon when compared to the global measure and even Saskatchewan’s grain has a smaller carbon footprint than other countries, then there must be a mechanism to return this value to the province.
“If we are already producing some of the most sustainable energy food and fertilizer in the world in Saskatchewan’s case, we should be able to monetize some of that innovation and investment. So that’s what we are working on with our industries across this province on how we can do this, and how we can make this available for Saskatchewan industries.”
Moe concluded by recognizing the Lloydminster area as having led innovation in the production of heavy crude and especially “now (to produce) it cleaner, better and more profitable than anywhere else in the world.”