The Alberta government will announce a new agreement with Enbridge Pipelines on Monday afternoon.
Premier Danielle Smith’s office says this is a new formal working agreement with Enbridge.
In a news release, it says the province is partnering with industry on opportunities for growth and investment in Alberta’s oil and gas transport and storage networks.
Smith has previously said she aspires to double Alberta’s oil and gas production and is talking to all pipeline companies about that.
She also said she expects to be in the U.S. for a few days every month this year.
The pitch begins later this month in Washington D.C., when she attends President Donald Trump’s inauguration, followed by trips to Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Trump has said one way for countries to avoid his proposed 25 per cent tariffs is to buy American-produced oil and gas.
On her radio show Saturday, Smith said the U.S. produces 13 million barrels of oil a day but consumes 20 million, so Trump’s suggestion only works if Alberta helps fill that 7-million barrel shortfall.
“We’ve been such a quiet, friendly, competent neighbour that we aren’t on anyone’s radar screen anymore, and we just want to continue being that quiet, friendly, competent neighbour who’s able to assist the Americans on being able to get the products that they need and as I think we make that case, we’ll be able to make the case to be tariff-free across all of our products across all of our provinces,” said Smith, on the show.
Smith will release the details at a 1:30 p.m. news conference at the McDougall Centre.
This is a developing story. More details to come…
With files from Amy Stalker