EDMONTON (CP) - Alberta has enough oil in its tarsands region to last for hundreds of years, says Energy Minister Greg Melchin.
Albertans and Canadians shouldn't be concerned about Americans draining oil to meet a growing thirst for energy in the United States, the minister said Tuesday. "We have centuries of supplies," Melchin said. "And our policies are built on a lot of trade, the United States being our most valuable customer.
"They're our friends, our allies, and that's been very beneficial for both of us."
Melchin was responding to a report by the Parkland Institute that says increasing demand from the U.S. is putting the oilsands in jeopardy.
The report deals with threats the tarsands face as production is forecast to jump to six million barrels a day from an estimated one million.
"The Americans have become very interested in the tarsands and almost talk about it as though it's their domestic supply, looking at it as a way of replacing Middle Eastern oil," said Parkland's director, Gordon Laxer.
The University of Alberta think tank is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to implement a made-in-Canada strategy to safeguard Canada's energy security.
But Melchin dismissed any suggestion of a new national policy that would influence Alberta's energy export decisions.
"The province has the ownership and stewardship and constitutional authority to develop its resources," said Melchin. "So when we're talking about energy, Alberta has the primary lead on the oil and gas."
However, he said he's not totally dismissing the idea of keeping an eye on Alberta's energy supplies.
"When we look at the long-term energy need for Alberta and for Canada, those are first and paramount," he said. "But we know our resources are so vast and so large."
Environment Minister Guy Boutilier also said there's a need to ensure that Canada's energy needs remain a top priority.
"We want to ensure that we supply the needs of Canadians, but there's a lot of oil to go around based on what we have in the oilsands development area," said Boutilier.
The Parkland report was commissioned a year ago and was prepared with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Polaris Institute.
