Saskatchewan, Ontario, Alberta Sign MoU to Facilitate O&G Transportation

Three Canadian provinces are collaborating to facilitate the transportation of oil and gas across the country.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to coordinate the safe transportation and export of Western Canadian oil, natural gas and critical minerals to refineries, seaports and storage facilities across Canada and beyond, according to a statement from the Canadian government.

The MoU establishes a collaborative framework to explore multiple pipeline and rail corridors, and expansion of processing hubs for critical minerals. The framework aims to create new and critical avenues to reach domestic and international markets, the statement said.

The agreement will help strengthen interprovincial trade by linking Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Alberta through shared infrastructure development and coordinated market strategies, according to the statement.

“We are sending a clear signal that Canada’s energy future will be built by Canadians, for Canadians,” Moe said. “This agreement commits our provinces to work together to unlock new markets, shore up our supply chains from mine to port and advocate for the federal reforms our industry needs. By advancing pipelines, rail connections and critical-mineral processing capacity, we are safeguarding thousands of jobs, strengthening our energy security and fostering sustainable growth”.

“As the world grapples with President Trump’s unfair tariffs, it is more important than ever to build a resilient and self-reliant economy here at home,” Ford said. “This agreement sends a clear message: Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan are ready to get shovels in the ground and move forward on projects that will secure our long-term prosperity”.

“We are taking action to grow our economy, build real infrastructure and get major projects moving,” Smith said. “Alberta is proud to lead the way in uniting with provinces that share a vision for responsible development, economic freedom and common sense. We are standing up for our oil and gas sector and making sure our world-class resources reach the markets that need them. Together, Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan are showing what is possible when provinces step up. This agreement is about building a stronger, more connected Canada, one project at a time”.

Emissions Reduction in Saskatchewan

Meanwhile, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from Saskatchewan’s upstream oil and gas sector had a fifth-straight year of reductions in 2024, according to the province’s Ministry of Energy and Resources’ Oil and Gas Emissions Management Regulations (OGEMR) Annual Report.

Data showed that provincial emissions from venting and flaring at upstream oil facilities fell by 71 percent compared to 2015 levels, and by 13 percent compared to 2023 levels, according to a separate statement.

The OGEMR annual report found that emissions from reported venting and flaring at upstream oil facilities had been reduced by 7.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent since 2015, equivalent to taking 1.7 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year, the statement said.

The two primary drivers of the reduction were oil companies installing combustion equipment at wells and facilities to burn off gas that would otherwise have been vented; and companies using vented gas on site as fuel for a beneficial industry-related purpose, according to the statement.

“Our made-in-Saskatchewan approach to lowering GHG emissions is working, and these numbers show it,” Saskatchewan Energy and Resources Minister Colleen Young said. “Investment and innovation in the oil and gas sector has led to the significant reduction in the emissions we have seen since OGEMR was introduced in 2019. The Ministry of Energy and Resources will continue to take a regulatory approach that facilitates growth and ensures responsible resource development”.

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