Alberta Oil Careers -Expanding into Asian oil markets should be Alberta’s top priority, say to some oil rig jobs and gas officials.
More than 300 oil and gas group council gathered in Edmonton Thursday for the annual Alberta Industrial Heartland Association (AIHS) stakeholder update to discuss “oil and gas development from a global perspective.”
“Asia needs to be the priority. The U.S. will always be there,” said Dr. Robert Johnston, Director with Global Energy and Natural Resources.
Johnston comments came following questions about the newly rejected Keystone XL pipeline project that would ship Alberta crude to the Gulf of Mexico.
During his keynote speech at the meeting, Johnston encouraged diversification, saying Chinese markets are ripe for the picking.
“Asian markets, such as China, will serve as a magnet for Canadian energy exports, said Johnston.
While opposition critics have planned projects like Keystone and the Northern Gateway pipeline in favour of upgrading raw bitumen in Alberta, AIHS Executive Director Neil Shelly is looking towards working with Asian markets to develop market ready products here on Alberta oil Careers.
“We still have a very strong market in North America, but the future is really in the Asian markets and how do we meet their growing demand for materials,” said Shelly.
With the world population edging to seven billion people, and as developing countries continue to assume western living standards, demands for oil field jobs - like carpeting and car parts and fertilizer -are set to skyrocket.
It’s a reason why raw natural gas and bitumen should be made into products here in Wild rose Country, suggests Shelly.
“That not only adds the values here but it improves the technology and we also have control of some of the environmental factors as well,” he said.
AIHS board chair Linda Osinchuk agrees more raw resources can be upgraded in the provinces, however it’s not economically feasible to build the roughly 10 upgrade’s needed.
“We are at a process of encouraging careers mentor ship and entrepreneurs, so we can keep our jobs and cross section of our youth who are going from Alberta Oil Careers,” said Osinchuk.Based on Government of Alberta stats, in 2008 the province
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