Latest news with #ChrisCooper
The Province
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Province
LNG Canada CEO states bold forecast for Canadian liquefied gas exports
LNG Canada CEO Chris Cooper thinks Canada could become a top LNG exporter, UBC economist Werner Antweiler is skeptical B.C. Premier David Eby announced a $200 million contribution agreement between the Government of B.C. and Haisla Nation to support building the infrastructure needed to ensure the Cedar LNG facility runs on B.C. energy. LNG Canada's Kitimat natural gas liquefaction plant has barely begun exporting the super-chilled fuel, but the company's CEO, on Wednesday, touted Canada's potential to become a Top 5 global exporter if all the LNG projects on the books in B.C. go ahead. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The $18-billion LNG Canada facility shipped its first cargo of LNG June 30 at the end of a seven-year construction phase and CEO Chris Cooper said that, 'In many respects, our timing couldn't be better.' Cooper said the world wants 'high-quality, responsibly produced' energy, and Canadian LNG exports help Canada diversify trade at a time when the country desperately wants to do just that.' Chris Cooper, CEO of LNG Canada Cooper added that the other projects on the books in B.C., including the Haisla First Nation-backed Cedar LNG under construction just south of LNG Canada, 'will go a long way to help Canada achieve an even more ambitious but attainable goal to become a world energy superpower.' That was a message that fit the moment for B.C. Premier David Eby, who was in Kitimaat to mark LNG Canada's milestone and to offer $200 million in provincial support to the electrification of Cedar LNG's operations. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Eby, on Tuesday, signed an agreement with the Haisla to support infrastructure for Cedar LNG, including a new power transmission line to the floating liquefaction plant the facility will use. A new agreement between B.C. and Haisla Nation will support infrastructure needed at Cedar LNG facility. David Eby at the announcement in Kitimaat yesterday. Wednesday, Eby used the occasion to position B.C. as a more reliable LNG trading partner, in addition to being more environmentally responsible, at a time 'when we are under direct attack from the president of the United States with clear intentions to cause harm to our economy.' Eby said B.C. received a warm welcome for LNG from this province on his recent trade mission to Asia, where the facility's co-owners stated the importance of its reliability and environmental performance to customers on the world market. In his remarks Tuesday, Eby said the U.S. looks like a riskier trading partner at the moment with Trump showing he will make 'arbitrary and extrajudicial decisions on a whim,' announcing them through his own social media platform, Truth Social. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The premier declared that Canadian values will help Canada 'win this race' to deliver LNG to Asia while Trump sets his sights on developing the industry in Alaska. However, whether Canada is able to vault itself into the top tier of LNG exporting nations will likely be more a factor of timing and price than the country's ambitions or environmental performance, according to trade economist Werner Antweiler. The U.S. is now the world's biggest LNG exporter, having shipped some 88 million tonnes of the fuel in 2024 followed by Australia at 81 million tonnes, Qatar at 77 million tonnes, Russia at 34 million tonnes and Malaysia at 28 million tonnes, according to the International Gas Union. LNG Canada, with its initial phase, will produce 14 million tonnes of LNG per year, which would have put it at seventh on the International Gas Union's list of exporters, about equal with Nigeria, which produced 13.8 million tonnes in 2024. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Existing projects under construction — Cedar LNG, Woodfibre LNG in Squamish, and FortisBC's Tilbury plant — would raise B.C.'s production to just over 21 million tonnes, sixth on the list. It would take final approval of the Nisga'a Nation-backed Ksi Lisims LNG and LNG Canada's Phase 2 to put Canada into the Top 5, but Antweiler, a trade economist in the University of B.C.'s Sauder School of Business, said, 'I don't really see all of this materializing.' Antweiler said the LNG market is competitive and the major producers are also working in other countries to snap up the long-term contracts they need to back projects in a market that the International Energy Agency is forecasting will flatten out after 2030. 'We're also not the cheapest producer in this market,' Antweiler said about B.C., which is at a cost disadvantage to producers such as Australia and Qatar where the gas supplies are closer to ports where it can be liquefied and shipped. 'So we're going to be a more marginal player and that means our position is much more vulnerable,' Antweiler said. 'That's the reason why I think that some of these projects just don't compute at the end.' depenner@ With files from The Canadian Press Read More Vancouver Canucks Columnists News Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Whitecaps
Calgary Herald
31-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
LNG Canada CEO states bold forecast for Canadian liquefied gas exports
Article content LNG Canada's Kitimat natural gas liquefaction plant has barely begun exporting the super-chilled fuel, but the company's CEO, on Wednesday, touted Canada's potential to become a Top 5 global exporter if all the LNG projects on the books in B.C. go ahead. Article content The $18-billion LNG Canada facility shipped its first cargo of LNG June 30 at the end of a seven-year construction phase and CEO Chris Cooper said that, 'In many respects, our timing couldn't be better.' Article content Article content Article content Cooper added that the other projects on the books in B.C., including the Haisla First Nation-backed Cedar LNG under construction just south of LNG Canada, 'will go a long way to help Canada achieve an even more ambitious but attainable goal to become a world energy superpower.' Article content That was a message that fit the moment for B.C. Premier David Eby, who was in Kitimaat to mark LNG Canada's milestone and to offer $200 million in provincial support to the electrification of Cedar LNG's operations. Article content Eby, on Tuesday, signed an agreement with the Haisla to support infrastructure for Cedar LNG, including a new power transmission line to the floating liquefaction plant the facility will use. Article content Article content Article content Wednesday, Eby used the occasion to position B.C. as a more reliable LNG trading partner, in addition to being more environmentally responsible, at a time 'when we are under direct attack from the president of the United States with clear intentions to cause harm to our economy.' Article content Article content Eby said B.C. received a warm welcome for LNG from this province on his recent trade mission to Asia, where the facility's co-owners stated the importance of its reliability and environmental performance to customers on the world market. Article content In his remarks Tuesday, Eby said the U.S. looks like a riskier trading partner at the moment with Trump showing he will make 'arbitrary and extrajudicial decisions on a whim,' announcing them through his own social media platform, Truth Social.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada can become an LNG powerhouse, but it will take innovation and determination
By Chris Cooper On a blustery afternoon last week, on the eve of Canada Day, I stood with colleagues and friends at the LNG Canada marine terminal in Kitimat, in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation, and watched with pride as the ocean carrier GasLog Glasgow departed with the first load of liquefied natural gas produced at our brand new, state-of-the art facility. This first cargo, destined for markets overseas, was a momentous occasion for our company and our five joint venture participants, local communities and First Nations. And indeed, for British Columbia and Canada. It represented the launch of a new industry in Canada, one that has already provided tens of thousands of jobs for individuals from coast to coast to coast, myriad training and employment opportunities for young workers, economic and social benefits for people and new revenues for governments. In my current and previous roles at LNG Canada, I've been fortunate to see first-hand our project's positive impacts on local businesses, public infrastructure, hospitals, schools, non-profit organizations. As someone whose career began with an apprenticeship at the age of 16, I'm especially pleased that our direct contributions to date include more than $10 million to workforce development initiatives, and another $13 million to community investments. Meanwhile, the cumulative value of LNG Canada's contracts and subcontracts to local, Indigenous and other businesses in B.C. is already approaching $6 billion. We're honoured to be at the forefront of this new industry in Canada. Of course, it hasn't always been easy. As many observers have noted, Canada's LNG opportunity might have come sooner. As an emerging industry, we've encountered numerous challenges, including periods of regulatory uncertainty. Other factors, including our country's vast geography and rugged terrain, have been met with innovation, grit and determination. The Coastal GasLink pipeline that delivers Canadian natural gas to our facility, for example, is 670 kilometres long, and was built across two mountain ranges, across difficult river crossings, over impossibly steep slopes and through avalanche territory. A showcase in collaboration, Coastal GasLink will also transport gas to our neighbours at Cedar LNG, a Haisla-led and majority-owned LNG project now under development just down the road from us. Standing on the jetty last week, watching the first cargo leave, I was reminded that LNG Canada was barely a year into construction when suddenly faced with an unprecedented global pandemic that stretched supply chains, impacted workers and tested capacities. LNG Canada and its valued contractors persevered as a team, and got the job done as a team, safely. Let's be clear: Whatever challenges we have faced or may face in the future, we should not forget the natural advantages we enjoy here in Canada. Designed to produce 14 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) in its initial phase, LNG Canada benefits greatly from our access to abundant, low-cost natural gas from British Columbia's vast resources; a cool northern climate that optimizes production; a deep water harbour that is ice-free all year; and a shipping distance to markets in Asia that is 50 per cent shorter than from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and avoids the Panama Canal. Add to this a highly skilled and growing workforce, and an innovative plant design that incorporates aero-derivative gas turbines and receives auxiliary electric power from BC Hydro, and we have a recipe for success. Our day has arrived, and in many respects, the timing could not be better. The world is hungry for reliable supplies of high quality, responsibly-produced lower carbon energy. Countries around the world want to decarbonize their economies, and they are looking to LNG to help them in their transition. Canada is a respected and stable exporting nation, a good trading partner and a strong alternative to countries with less predictable leadership. From a Canadian perspective, our nascent LNG industry adds much needed diversity to our export markets. We are also demonstrating — again at a time when it's really needed — that British Columbians and Canadians are capable of building big things. And we're capable of doing even more, with more LNG projects in B.C. on the way, and with LNG Canada's Phase 2 expansion that's now under consideration. We see an opportunity to build on our early Phase 1 successes and the benefits it's already providing First Nations, communities, British Columbians and Canadians. Phase 2 would potentially double our production capacity to 28 mtpa, making LNG Canada one of the world's largest LNG export facilities by volume. A final investment decision will take into account factors such as overall competitiveness, affordability, pace, future greenhouse gas emissions and stakeholder needs. Our goal is to continue to design, build and operate a world-class facility at scale. With this trajectory and in continued collaboration with industry colleagues, governments, Canadian crafts and trades, local communities and First Nations, Canada has an exceptionally strong opportunity to become a top-five LNG exporting country. And that would go a long way to help Canada achieve an even more ambitious but attainable goal: to become a world energy superpower. Chris Cooper is chief executive of is LNG Canada Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada ships first LNG export cargo from Pacific coast
By Amanda Stephenson CALGARY(Reuters) -Canada's first-ever LNG export cargo has been shipped from the country's Pacific Coast en route to Asia, a spokesperson for the Shell-led LNG Canada said on Monday. The cargo was loaded onto the tanker Gaslog Glasgow from LNG Canada's site in Kitimat, British Columbia, just over a week after the facility confirmed first production and became the first large-scale commercial LNG operation in the country. LNG Canada is the first major LNG facility in North America with direct access to the Pacific Coast. It starts at a time when trade tensions with the United States have heightened Canada's desire to diversify its export markets. "This is something Canada really needs right now," LNG Canada CEO Chris Cooper said in an interview, pointing to those trade tensions. The LNG Canada project, which is a joint venture between Shell Plc, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corp and Kogas, cost approximately CDN$40 billion (US$29.4 billion) to construct and has been billed as the largest private-sector investment in Canadian history. When fully ramped up, it will have the capacity to export 14 million metric tonnes of LNG per year. Shell and its partners are working towards reaching a final investment decision next year for doubling the project's capacity, the chief of Shell's gas business Cedric Cremers told Reuters. Canada is the world's fifth-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of natural gas, but until now virtually all of those exports have gone to the United States. LNG Canada offers the country's natural gas producers access to energy-hungry Asian markets for the first time. Its Pacific coast location offers a direct shipping route to Asia without needing to transit the Panama Canal, something project partners hope will give Canadian LNG an advantage against U.S. competitors whose facilities are located on the other side of the continent along the Gulf coast. LNG Canada also has a supply cost advantage. Prices for Canadian natural gas — which will be shipped to LNG Canada from the shale fields of northeast British Columbia via the Coastal Gaslink pipeline — currently trade at less than half the price of the U.S. Henry Hub benchmark. "West coast LNG in Canada competes exceptionally well against anything being developed in the United States," Petronas Canada CEO Mark Fitzgerald said at a conference in Calgary in June. The startup of LNG Canada — which was first proposed in 2012 — comes almost 10 years after the United States first began exporting LNG from the lower 48 states. The United States has since become the world's largest LNG exporter, leaving many in Canada's energy sector to say that their country has been too slow to develop its own industry. But Canada has additional LNG projects waiting in the wings. Two smaller Pacific coast LNG facilities — the Cedar LNG and Woodfibre LNG projects — are currently under construction, and LNG Canada itself is considering a second-phase expansion of the project, which would double the facility's capacity. While Canadian LNG does have certain beneficial cost elements, it also has negatives, said RJ Johnston, incoming director of energy and natural resource policy at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy. Constructing new Canadian LNG facilities and pipelines along British Columbia's remote northern coast is more challenging and expensive than along the U.S. Gulf, where the infrastructure to serve the LNG sector is already developed, he said. Ed Kallio, executive advisor for data analytics and forecasting firm Incorrys, said the business case for expanding Canada's LNG production is weakened by greenhouse gas regulations that U.S. producers don't face. "The major risk for future LNG development in Canada is the price risk for (clean) electricity to power these processes," he said. 1 CAD = 0.73USD
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WNC politicians, experts react to Tillis' announcement that he won't run for reelection
ASHEVILLE - Republican Sen. Thom Tillis' announcement that he will not run for reelection in North Carolina will put a further spotlight on an already highly watched race, said a Western North Carolina political scientist, with local Democratic Party leadership hopeful it will give them the momentum they need to flip the seat. 'It takes what was already going to be arguably the most watched U.S. Senate race in the country and removes the word 'arguably,'" said Chris Cooper, a professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University. Tillis' announcement came the day after he voted against advancing President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," Republicans' massive domestic policy bill. Tillis, 64, said June 28 that he could not support the bill because of its expected impacts on Medicaid and rural hospitals. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014 and is serving his second term after being reelected in 2020. Before serving in the U.S. Senate, he was speaker of the N.C. State House in the N.C. General Assembly. The Republican's seat in battleground North Carolina was already a top target for Senate Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections. He faced a competitive fight to keep the seat as Democrats pushed to reclaim control of the chamber. 'The Democrats have to win North Carolina if they want to have any chance to take back the Senate. And I think they are going to see this as their opportunity," Cooper said. "One of the questions, of course, is: Who is their candidate going to be?' More: Thom Tillis, key Republican holdout on Trump's tax bill, won't seek reelection For many North Carolina Democrats, former Gov. Roy Cooper is at the top of that list, Chris Cooper said. 'From my understanding, (Roy) Cooper has never lost an election, and I don't think he would lose this senate race either,' said Kristen Robinson, chair of the Buncombe County Democratic Party. 'I just think he's one of the best people we could put up to show what North Carolina has to offer." If not him, "I think it's really anybody's guess what happens," Chris Cooper said. Former U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel, a Democrat, officially declared his campaign for U.S. Senate in April. After Tillis' announcement, Nickel posted on social media that "No matter which MAGA loyalist Trump picks, I'm the only Democrat in this race and I'm ready to win." Tillis was one of only two U.S. Senate Republicans, along with Rand Paul of Kentucky, to vote against debating the bill as written. Following that vote, Trump took to social media, threatening to back potential primary challengers. Robinson said she expects a lot of "jockeying" for the position from Republicans in the next weeks. Among the names on people's lists is Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, who is considering a potential Senate bid in North Carolina, according to reporting from The Hill. Also included on those lists is Michael Whatley, formerly with N.C. GOP, now chair of the RNC, and Rep. Pat Harrigan, a freshman member of Congress, Cooper said. Andy Nilsson, a retired businessman, and Don Brown, a former U.S. Navy JAG Officer, attorney and author, are among those who have already announced their intention to run in the primary. The Buncombe County Republican Party did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. "Too many elected officials are motivated by pure raw politics who really don't give a damn about the people they promised to represent on the campaign trail," Tillis said in his June 29 statement. "After they get elected, they don't bother to do the hard work to research the policies they seek to implement and understand the consequences those policies could have on that young adult living in a trailer park, struggling to make ends meet." Cooper, of WCU, said the end of Tillis' statement indicated he may take even more stances that are counter to Trump in the next 18 months. 'If you live in Western North Carolina ... then that's going to affect our lives in some pretty significant ways," he said. Tropical Storm Helene recovery is top of mind for many in WNC. While Tillis may have lost capital in terms of passing legislation, his power now will be more about stopping what he perceives as bad, Cooper said. 'I hope Tillis, now that he's not bound to following exactly what Trump does because he's not running for reelection, that he does step up to the plate and get things for Western North Carolina that we need," said Robinson, with the local Democratic Party. He's got a year and a half to do it, she said. 'So I wish him luck.' U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, Republican: 'Senator Thom Tillis has shown strong conviction as an advocate for the people of North Carolina. I have always respected his dedication to making life better for North Carolinians and his willingness to engage in thoughtful policy discussions, even on issues where I may not have agreed with him. His decision to not seek reelection marks the end of a significant chapter in North Carolina and our nation's history, and I thank him for his years of service and commitment to our state. His next chapter focusing on time with his family is well-deserved, and I wish him and his loved ones all the best in this next season.' (June 29, news release). Gov. Josh Stein, Democrat: "I've known and worked with Thom since our days in the state legislature and thank him for his years of service to North Carolina there and in the U.S. Senate. Anna and I wish him and Susan the best and much joy with their grandchildren." (June 29, social media post). Attorney General Jeff Jackson, Democrat: "I respect Senator Tillis's decision to end his career in the Senate when he felt the time was right. I also appreciate that he was willing to vote against last night's budget bill - even though it ran against his political interests - because it would cause serious and lasting harm to North Carolina's families and economy. I saw that he spoke about having the pure freedom to call balls and strikes over the next 18 months, and I genuinely look forward to that. It's the approach that will serve North Carolina best and I'm glad to see that's how he sees his mission with his remaining time in the Senate." (June 29, social media post). N.C. Republican Party Chair, Jason Simmons: "Sen. Tillis has announced his decision to not seek re-election and we wish him well in his retirement from public service. As we move forward into the midterms, we will hold this seat for Republicans in 2026 and continue to deliver on President Trump's America First priorities." (June 29, social media post). N.C. Democratic Party Chair, Anderson Clayton: "Thom Tillis spent years putting DC Republicans and corporate donors ahead of the people of North Carolina, and voters noticed. Today, Thom Tillis finally faced reality: this made him wildly unpopular. No matter who the NCGOP chooses as a rubber stamp to green light their extreme cuts to funding for public schools, slashes to Social Security and Medicare, and attacks against reproductive freedom, we'll be ready to fight back." (June 29, news release). More: Who is Lara Trump? She's 'thinking' about a campaign for Thom Tillis Senate seat More: Davis officially enters NC-11 race; 4 Dems eyeing Edwards' seat USA TODAY contributed to this report. Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@ or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Thom Tillis says he will not seek reelection. Impact to Western NC?
