[FREDERICTON, NB] — A New Brunswick MP is suggesting that oil from Alberta could be piped eastward to be processed in Saint John.
John Williamson says the recent decision by the United States to delay approval for a pipeline from the Alberta oilsands to Gulf Coast refineries is just one reason for his suggestion.
The Conservative MP who represents New Brunswick Southeast in the Commons says Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants to diversify export markets for Canadian oil, and a pipeline to the west coast is already being considered as a way to serve Asian markets.
Williamson says getting Canadian oil to Saint John could renew talk of building a second Irving Oil refinery and create jobs.
In a prepared statement, Irving Oil spokeswoman Lesley Dickson says the company has processed Canadian crude oil in the past and could do so again if it is logistically viable.
David Coon of the New Brunswick Conservation Council says there shouldn't be any investment in more fossil fuels when the planet is facing climate change.
