Minister comments on Panel Report for Sable Gas Projects

Charles J. Furey, Minister of Mines and Energy, commented today on the Joint Public Review Panel Report on the Sable Gas Projects released Monday in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by the federal Minister of the Environment, Christine Stewart, and the Nova Scotian Minister of the Environment, Wayne Adams.

"Upon a preliminary review of the Joint Panel report on the Sable Gas Projects, I believe the panel has completed a thorough review of the project and provided many good recommendations to ensure the development of the project is completed in the most environmentally friendly manner possible," says Mr. Furey.

Mr. Furey points out that the panel did not review the Tatham Offshore Inc. proposal which is critical to the development of the offshore gas resources off the east coast of Canada. The Tatham Offshore Inc. proposal involves the construction and operation of a submarine pipeline for the collection and transportation of natural gas from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and the Scotian Shelf to Atlantic Canada and the eastern seaboard of the United States.

"The natural gas resources on the Grand Banks will remain locked-in without the type of development proposed by Tatham," says Mr. Furey.

"As the minister responsible for the development of the province's petroleum resources, I am supportive of the Tatham Offshore Inc. proposal because it takes into account the very significant discovered natural gas resources in the Newfoundland offshore area," says Furey. The province's natural gas resources are enormous says the minister. "Discovered gas resources offshore Newfoundland and Labrador amount to four trillion cubic feet (TCF) on the Grand Banks and 4.2 TCF off Labrador. Furthermore, the Geological Survey of Canada estimated in their 1983 report that the total undiscovered natural gas potential offshore Newfoundland and Labrador is 52 TCF."

The minister has written Ralph Goodale, Minister of Natural Resources, and asked him to ensure that the federal authorities provide full and fair consideration to the Tatham proposal. In this context the National Energy Board must hear the Tatham proposal, which is now before it, prior to making any recommendation to the federal cabinet.

1997 10 29

11:50 a.m.

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