Energy and the Resource Sector
The Saskatchewan Party has continued to advocate for Saskatchewan's oil and gas industry by advocating against harmful federal legislation, such as Bill C-69 ("the no more pipelines bill") and Bill C-48 ("the tanker ban") and standing up against the federally imposed carbon tax.
Saskatchewan has implemented a series of relief measures for the provincial oil and gas sector in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the OPEC+ oil price war. This relief include various regulatory measures aimed at providing operators valuable time to reevaluate and recover, as well as measures that will support immediate cash-flow.
We are proud of our diversified energy and resources sector and the exciting opportunities for our industry including:
- A first-of-its-kind hydrogen production project patented by Proton Technology which will bring cutting edge practices to extract hydrogen from existing oil reservoirs, while leaving carbon emissions trapped underground;
- Canada's largest helium purification facility near Battle Creek, Saskatchewan; and
- A joint lithium project undertaken by Prairie Lithium Corporation and LiEP Energy Limited. This project refines and produces lithium from brine water found in oil and gas wells across North America.
Saskatchewan has the largest high-grade deposits of uranium in the world, making us a leader in providing clean electricity. About one in 10 homes in Canada, nearly one in 20 in the United States and millions more in other countries receive clean, emissions-free electricity produced from Saskatchewan uranium. In 2018, the industry employed roughly 2,000 people, half of which are Saskatchewan's northerners, most of whom are Aboriginal, and nearly $150 million was spent on uranium exploration projects.
The Saskatchewan Party government announced relief measures for Saskatchewan's mining and exploration sector following economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and public health orders. Several amendments were implemented, such as a temporary elimination of expenditure requirements for mineral claims and leases, allowing expenditures incurred during the relief period to count towards expense requirements, and other immediate cash-flow measures.
The Saskatchewan Party will continue to support and advocate for the men and women who work in our energy and resources sector.