The following statement was issued today by Ed Byrne, Minister of Natural Resources. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

White Rose oil project

I rise today to inform my colleagues in the House and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador of another important event in the progress of the White Rose oil project. As soon as weather permits, a 1200-tonne module will leave on a barge from the Bull Arm fabrication site and make its way to the Kiewit Offshore Services Facility in Marystown.

In April 2003, North Eastern Constructors Limited was awarded the contract by Aker Maritime Kiewit Contractors (AMKC) to fabricate two topsides modules for the White Rose FPSO at the Bull Arm fabrication facility. The larger of the two modules, the main electrical room, has just been completed. The other module, the local electrical room, was completed and shipped to the Kiewit Offshore Services facility in Cow Head in November 2003.

During peak construction, the main electrical room module provided employment for up to 300 skilled tradespeople at Bull Arm. Like the smaller module completed in November, the main electrical room has been completed on schedule and is a testimony to the abilities of this province�s skilled workforce and to the capabilities of one of our local companies, North Eastern Constructors Limited. It also demonstrates that our facilities at Bull Arm present a competitive and strategic advantage to companies involved in heavy industrial activities, particularly for the offshore oil industry.

The modules completed at Bull Arm will be loaded aboard the White Rose FPSO, Sea Rose, which arrived in Marystown in April. The arrival of the Sea Rose is another milestone in the development of this province�s third major oil project. Husky Energy continues to deliver on its commitment that the bulk of the topsides engineering, fabrication, hook-up and commissioning requirements for White Rose are completed in this province. According to Husky Energy, this $2.35 billion project is on schedule. I commend the workforce at both Bull Arm and the Marystown/Cow Head facilities for their commitment and dedication to the job at hand.

As each of our oil fields has come into production, our capacity to meet the demands of the petroleum industry has expanded. Our companies have risen to meet the challenges of the industry and our workforce is up to the task of providing the skills, the knowledge and now the experience to support the industry. We are a competitive player in the oil and gas industry.

2004 05 13                                        2:10 p.m.