Petronas Upbeat on BC Government's Stance on Pacific Northwest LNG Project

Malaysia's Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) announced Tuesday that it is encouraged by the commitment expressed by the British Columbia (BC) government regarding the Pacific NorthWest LNG (PNW LNG) project during the recent meetings between its President and Group CEO Shamsul Azhar Abbas with BC Premier Christy Clark and Minister of Natural Gas Development Rich Coleman in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Petronas and the Government of BC agreed on clear milestones, action plans and deliverables for both parties to support project competitiveness necessary to undertake a Final Investment Decision (FID) by mid-December.

In addition, Petronas will also continue to work with the Government of Canada and its agencies to advance the regulatory process and clarify the fiscal framework associated with this new industry in the country.

“Fundamentally, we believe that the PNW LNG project has the ability to monetize, add value and link BC natural gas to the global market; to the benefit and prosperity of Canadians, especially to British Columbians. Nonetheless, the reality of the global LNG market is that we are facing potential overhang and decreasing demand that creates downward pressure on LNG prices. In this market environment, the ability to secure market and customers is paramount,” said Shamsul Azhar Abbas, president and Group CEO, Petronas.

“Coupled with softening crude prices, there is a need for international energy companies such as Petronas to seriously prioritize and reassess our investments. The proposed fiscal package and regulatory pace in Canada threatens the global competitiveness of the PNW LNG project. This is further exacerbated by preliminary project costs, which indicates cost of local contractors to be higher and not benchmarked to global contractor's cost,” he added.

According to Petronas, the additional tax and high cost environment will negatively impact the project's economic viability and competitiveness. In fact, in its last portfolio review exercise, the current project economics appeared marginal. Without material cost reduction efforts cross the project the company will have a tough time reaching a positive FID by mid-December.

In order to remain competitive, Petronas needs to secure consensus on key principles vital to the success of this project by the end of October. Missing this date will have the impact of having to defer its investments until the next LNG marketing window, anticipated in 10-15 years. At this juncture, Petronas firmly believes on the urgent need for stakeholders to collaborate and come to an agreement, rather than act as opposing parties at the negotiation table.


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