The True Post(Web News)A tanker carrying Canada’s first cargo of liquefied natural gas across the Pacific Ocean to Asian markets has departed from LNG Canada’s berth in Kitimat, B.C. Kitimat Mayor Phil Garmuth said it’s a nearly decade-long journey, marking the start of a project that will bring long-term economic growth to the region.
The British Columbia Coast Pilots said two of their members boarded the tanker near Triple Island in remote northern B.C. The coast and boat made the 15-hour, nearly 300-kilometre journey to Kitimat.
The pilots rotated shifts to ensure those on duty remained alert throughout the journey. They were transported by a tug built by Haisee Marine, a company majority-owned by the Hasla Nation. The successful operation represents more than 10 years of preparation and collaboration with government, industry and coastal First Nations.
LNG Canada is a joint venture between Shell and Malaysia’s Petronas, PetroChina, Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation and South Korea’s Kogas. Its first phase is expected to produce 14 million tonnes of gas annually, and the second phase will double that output. It has been billed by the federal government as the largest private sector investment in Canadian history, worth $40 billion in port operations, gas fields and pipelines in northeastern B.C.
