Quebec is well placed in North America to become one of the leaders in the sector of natural gas and could even become producer of the resource “within two years”.
That is what the ex-chairman of Hydro-Quebec, now president of the Quebec Oil and Gas Association, André Caillé, believes at the time of an interview with ‘Argent’.
“At the present time, companies are in a phase of exploration. But I would say that in two years, Quebec could produce natural gas. And all depending on investments, but that could also occur sooner”, he maintains.
Until now, the Association has invested 150 million $ in the various Quebec projects. According to Mr. Caillé, these investments could be increased by 350 million $ in the next few months. Quebec will invest 4 million $ in the next two years in a programme of acquisition of geoscientific knowledge.
“In a conference like the one that we are holding at the present time we have 300 participants coming from almost everywhere, from Norway, from the United States, from France. We want in particular to twin companies from here and from elsewhere. We incite them to invest here”, ensures Mr. Caillé.
At the present time, a company of gas exploration like Junex has a partnership with American Forest Oil - a heavy-weight in the field - in order to develop exploitation sites.
For several months, gas exploration of the gas schists has proceeded in particular in the valley of the St. Lawrence. Investments increase so much that the Government of Quebec has announced a new bill on Monday which will replace the current Mining and Public Lands Act.
According to the Government, since one year and half the Province has delivered 575 exploitation permits so much so that the Ministry cannot satisfy all of the requests.
According to Andre Caillé, Quebec could thrive very well in the next few years in a context where the production of natural gas will increase in North America.
“Our deposits are as important as those in the United States. You know, the market of gas is continental, we use the network of gas pipelines to convey the resource. Therefore, the potential is important”, he believes.
Not the best context for Rabaska
The entire current context makes it so that the price of natural gas remains low in North America. Which puts umbrage over the projects for ports for methane tankers on the continent.