Special Features - N2K - April 2014

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APRIL 2014

NORTHWEST B.C.’S INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

2020 VISION

ONE-ON-ONE

WITH PRINCE RUPERT PORT AUTHORITY CEO

DON KRUSEL INSIDE N2K

THE BIG PICTURE

WHAT’S COMING TO NORTHWEST B.C. AND THE INDUSTRIES ALREADY HERE

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N2K Publisher Todd Hamilton

Editor in Chief Shaun Thomas Prince Rupert Ed Evans, Sales Lisa Thomas, Sales Terrace Rod Link, Senior Editor Brian Lindenbach, Sales Bert Husband, Sales Erin Bowker, Sales Kitimat Cameron Orr, Editor Louisa Genzale, Sales Smithers Ryan Jensen, Editor Grant Harris, Sales NicK Briere, Sales Houston Jackie Lieuwen, Reporter Mary-Anne Ruiter, Sales Burns Lake Laura Blackwell, Sales Walter Strong, Editor Fort St. James Pam Berger, Sales Ruth Lloyd, Editor Vanderhoof Pam Berger, Sales Sam Redding, Editor N2K is a Black Press publication mailed or delivered by carrier to 33,500 homes and businesses throughout Northwest B.C. Our Head Office is located at 737 Fraser Street, Prince Rupert, B.C., V8J 1R1 250-624-8088 Fax: 250-624-8085

NORTHWEST B.C.’S INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

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e are proud to launch the first issue of NEED TO KNOW MAGAZINE (N2K) for readers throughout Northwest B.C.

N2K marshals the talents of award-winning local writers, photographers, editors, graphic designers and marketing specialists to produce a high-quality magazine focused squarely on Northwest B.C. industry and the people who make it all work.

In addition to the talents of Northwest B.C. staff, N2K has also enlisted the services of leading industry experts to provide clear, straightforward delivery of topical industry information to more than 33,000 homes, businesses, government agencies and band councils in Northwest B.C. N2K is produced in Northwest B.C., it is staffed by people who work and live in Northwest B.C., it focuses on industry in Northwest B.C. and is delivered to the ultimate decision-makers in Northwest B.C. — the residents and business owners of Northwest B.C. Each month, N2K will focus on Northwest B.C.’s growing resource development sectors including energy, mining and transportation, as well as the longtime economic backbone of the region — forestry, fishing and agriculture. The articles will highlight industry best practices and the short and long-term community benefits to be gained from a strong and sustainable Northwest B.C. industry sector.

A career and opportunity section will also provide Northwest B.C. companies and job-seekers a targeted and broader scope to recruit or to find employment.

The many economic and social benefits, as well as the technological advancements of 21st Century industry, are something people in Northwest B.C. need to know.

A new day of unparalleled prosperity is dawning for Northwest B.C. and it’s something you need to know all about. Please enjoy.

Todd Hamilton Publisher

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Volume 1 • Issue 1

April 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

2020 VISION One-on-One with Don Krusel 7

MODERN KITIMAT Rio Tinto Alcan ramps up 12

COMING BACK New hope for Watson Island

13

BIG PLANS Black still pushing for refinery 14

POWERING UP NW Transmission line nearly ready 15

WORLD ENERGY LNG behind NW resurgence 16

LINKING ASIA Where will all the pipelines go?

20

MINING RETURN Hwy 37, the road back for mining 22

YOUR HUCKLEBERRY Red Chris, Endako, Milligan mines 24

PELLET POWER Forestry sector looking to pellets 28

GREEN IDEA Wind farm for Vanderhoof

JOB OPPORTUNITIES Career positions available in NW 30

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People

2020 Vision

Prince Rupert Port Authority CEO Don Krusel

By Shaun Thomas

T

hrough the window of his office in Atlin Terminal, Prince Rupert Port Authority president and CEO Don Krusel looks out over the many anchored ships that line the harbour.

But the view wasn’t always so pleasant.

During the course of his two decades at the port authority, Krusel has seen the port survive the darkest of days and emerge into a future of unprecedented growth that is brighter than anyone could have ever imagined.

From humble beginnings It wasn’t long ago that the port of Prince Rupert was as far from the international shipping spotlight as it could possibly be. Longshoremen were leaving town, taking their families with them, and the export industry was but a blip on the economic radar.

“Fifteen years ago, the port was very easily classified as a backwater, regional port with a focus on providing

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an outlet for a local and regional economy. It was all about the lumber with more than a dozen mills operating between here and Prince George ... anybody focusing on the port actually didn’t have to look beyond what was happening in the lumber mills to see the future,” said Krusel.

As 2004 came to a close, the port of Prince Rupert shipped 4.2 million tonnes of product when lumber exports from Fairview Terminal were combined with coal from Ridley Terminal and wheat from Prince Rupert Grain. With shipping numbers staying low but steady, the port authority made the bold move of ceasing Fairview break-bulk operations. Forging a partnership with CN, the Province of B.C. and the federal government, the entire terminal was converted to a container handling facility.

SEE PAGE 8

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N2K PEOPLE • DON KRUSEL

“In the next seven years it is projected 135 million people will move into cities from rural areas of China. That is the equivalent of building a new Metro Vancouver every 44 days.”

It was a move many in the community hoped would help the struggling community turn the corner.

On Sept. 12, 2007, with the eyes of the shipping world watching, the ribbon was cut on Fairview Terminal and a new era for Prince Rupert and the Prince Rupert Port Authority was launched.

“Ten years ago, if I was on a trade mission in Asia with the province and was introduced as being from Prince Rupert there would be a lot of blank stares and I would have out a map to show where Prince Rupert was. Today, people are asking me about what is happening in Prince Rupert and it is because we have gained such notoriety and such a reputation in the international community because of the success of Fairview Terminal” said Krusel, who said the growth since Fairview Terminal opened has “exceeded all expectations”.

“I would have been very reluctant to publicly forecast the growth in volume we have experienced. 20 years ago the idea of reaching 20 million tonnes was the ultimate goal, now here we are having moved almost 23 million tonnes with plans to further expand.”

An economic engine As the Port of Prince Rupert continues to smash volume records year-in and year-out — a new tonnage record has been set every year since Fairview Terminal opened — Krusel said much of that success comes down to timing and location.

“Just as we opened the container terminal in 2007, one could really see a shift taking place in China with the rise of urbanization and the rise of the middle class. You could

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see there was going to be a demand for North American resources,” he said, noting it is tough to grasp just how large that shift is.

“In the next seven years it is projected 135 million people will move into cities from rural areas of China.

That is the equivalent of building a new Metro Vancouver every 44 days.”

Being the closest gateway connecting Asian markets to North America and with reliable rail providing easy access to the U.S heartlands via Memphis and Chicago, Prince Rupert is perfectly positioned to provide the resources needed to accomplish such a feat.

Although the impact this period of sustained growth is having on Prince Rupert itself is evident in the jobs being directly created by port operations and the increased economic activity, Krusel said what is happening on the North Coast is far from the entire picture.

“We are building a gateway economy and, really, Prince Rupert is just the gate.

The people of Prince Rupert can see the importance of building the gate, but it is so much more meaningful in Northern B.C. to provide that window to the world ... think about what the world would be for producers in Northern B.C. if there was no port: They would be shut out to trade with the world, so there would be no coal mines because they wouldn’t be economical because they couldn’t get to market and the lumber and pulp mills would be unable to get to international markets,” he said, pointing to the recently opened Westview Terminal as a perfect example of compounding benefits.

SEE PAGE 9

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N2K PEOPLE • DON KRUSEL

“Our responsibility as a port authority is to create the platform so that Canada can take advantage of that economic growth that is happening in Asia and ensure Canada has the capacity to trade and export our resources.”

“Here in Prince Rupert that facility is $40 million to construct and will employ up to 12 people. That’s great, that $40 million investment here is having a great impact on the economy and those jobs have a great impact on the economy. However, there is a much bigger impact as you move to the interior where those pellet producing plants are located. There are hundreds of jobs that are there in places like Houston and Prince George as a result of being able to get wood pellets to the international market. Then we see Pinnacle is working with First Nations to build a new wood pellet manufacturing facility in Terrace, which will create hundreds more jobs.”

Another example, said Krusel, is the expansion underway at Ridley Terminals that will double the capacity of the terminal from 12 million tonnes to 24 million tonnes. Because of that increased capacity, new mines are opening in Northeastern B.C. that will create thousands of jobs during construction and operation. It is that kind of compounding impact that is driving the port authority to undertake an aggressive expansion that will trump anything seen in the last decade.

“Our responsibility as a port authority is to create the platform so that Canada can take advantage of

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that economic growth that is happening in Asia and ensure Canada has the capacity to trade and export our resources,” he said.

“That is the reason we have grown so rapidly and will continue to grow.”

Growing sustainability With the amount of growth that has taken place in Prince Rupert over the past eight years, Krusel said the environment and sustainability of Prince Rupert have always been at the forefront.

The Prince Rupert Port Authority has contributed nearly $1.5 million back to various organizations for legacy projects through its Community Investment Fund, which sets aside a percentage of profit each year to give back to Prince Rupert.

“We want the success of the port to be more than the creation of jobs and new terminals ... we want the port to be a great place to work, but we also want this to be a great community live in as well,” explained Krusel.

SEE PAGE 10

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N2K PEOPLE • DON KRUSEL

“It will be a very dynamic, robust and exciting gateway economy.”

The port authority is also undertaking baseline data studies for air quality and water quality, something that until now has been missing on the North Coast.

“We’re gathering that now so we can continue to monitor it and ensure nothing in the port is negatively impacting water and air quality in the future ... what we want to do is build this platform for growth, but ensure the environmental platform is also recognized and growth is done in a way that has minimal impact to the environment,” said Krusel.

Gateway 2020 The next game-changer for the Port of Prince Rupert is the Ridley Island Road, Rail and Utility Corridor, which will be complete this fall.

The $90-million project is designed to open up an additional 400 hectares of land on Ridley Island for future industrial development and includes an eight kilometre loop of five rail tracks, a two-lane road and hydro lines. While that may seem like a lot of land, it’s already largely spoken for with plans for liquid bulk products, a large bulk commodity terminal and smaller industrial enterprises such as an automobile offloading area and a logistics park. That amount of interest creates some unique challenges for those in the port authority offices in Cow Bay. “The biggest challenge is just squeezing so much activity through such a limited window of time … there are challenges in just managing the flood of activity washing over this gateway right now. The Port of Prince Rupert team is working extremely hard to make sure all of the proponents’ planning activities, design work and environmental assessments are moving forward in a timely fashion so their time line for opening is not compromised,” said Krusel.

“One challenge we already have is we wish we had more land. If we had more land we would have more customers lining up.”

Should everything planned come to fruition, Prince Rupert’s port would see its volumes jump from just under 23 million tonnes per year to between 60 million and 80 million tonnes per year while the number of vessels calling would climb from just over 400 per year to anywhere between 1,200 and 1,500 vessels per year by 2025. That would put the small North Coast port in some elite company.

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“We would be clearly the second largest port and gateway in Canada by a fair margin. Vancouver and Prince Rupert would be number one and number two in the country and Prince Rupert would be one of the largest and most significant gateways in North America,” said Krusel.

“It will be a very dynamic, robust and exciting gateway economy.”

With energy interests turning their eyes to the North Coast and demand in Asia only on the rise, the sky is the limit for the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

-N2K

N2K

Learning a lesson and having a gas A Mount Elizabeth Middle School student cautiously climbs the steps to the And then drank from the cup. stage of the town’s iconic Mount Elizabeth Theatre in Kitimat.

The demonstration effectively shows that should a tanker carrying the gas This afternoon, Erik Neandross is on the stage, wearing safety goggles, ever spill, you’ll end up with a giant ice cube before you get any serious gloves, a long jacket, and a welcoming smile to sooth any stage fright the environmental impacts. student may have.

To ignite it as a gas you need a heat source at least 580C. Except, stage fright might be the least of what’s going through her mind.

Concentration of the gas also has to be within five to 15 per cent in the air.

Dead ahead on the stage as she rises on the steps is a large metal Outside of that, it won’t go. container marked explosive. It’s a container of liquefied natural gas.

In it’s liquid form, natural gas must rest at about -150C to -162C. As it Neandross wants her to light some on fire. warms from that, it returns to a gaseous state.

Natural gas, or more specifically liquefied natural gas (LNG), is a That explains the instant ice cube process. When he poured the natural gas cornerstone of B.C.’s new economy. From beneath the ground in northeast from its canister into the water, the water, being room temperature, was B.C., the plan will be to pipe it to northwest B.C., where it will be loaded many times warmer than the natural gas. It bubbles, effectively instantly onto specialized tankers at either Prince Rupert or Kitimat, for delivery to boiling, and evaporates into the air.

Asian markets.

“The real purpose of this is just to provide the basic education about LNG, Even with lofty ambitions for the natural resource, many might not realize what it is and maybe just as important what it’s not,” said Neandross in a exactly how natural gas works. And more importantly, whether gap between his natural gas presentations. “There’s a lot of misconception it’s safe. about LNG, which is understandable; we don’t have LNG necessarily in every Cue Neandross, whose company Gladstein, Neandross & community these days. We’re seeing more and more of it.”

Associates, was contracted by LNG Canada to demonstrate CN Rail is seeking to power their trains by liquefied natural gas, he the properties of gas to students said, and BC Ferries will from here only purchase LNG powered ships. and stakeholders in Kitimat.

Now, for that high school student on stage, it’s the moment of truth. A Natural gas, as a quick chemistry vapour release cap is put over a LNG container, allowing a small stream lesson, is a hydrocarbon, so it’s of gas to release upwards. made up of hydrogen and carbon Neandross hands her a long-neck lighter. She starts six feet up with her atoms, in various ratios, depending hands holding the lighter. Nothing. She drops it slightly, nothing. Then finally, on what kind of gas it is inches above the container, the lighter ignites the vapour. She’s found that specifically. small window where the gas will ignite. But armed with knowledge, the students In a liquefied form, watching don’t repel back in fear. They lean Neandross shows, closer. there is not much to They’re ready to know more. worry about. In his demonstration he has already poured a small amount of the liquefied gas into a glass of water.

A balloon filled with natural gas is rapidly chilled with LNG, reducing the volume of gas to a small puddle.

The volume of natural gas shrinks about 600 times when liquefied.

This space is a collaborative promotional venture by LNG Canada and N2K

Getting modern

By Shaun Thomas

K

itimat is enjoying an economic boom unlike anything in the past three decades and leading the increase in activity is the modernization of the Rio Tinto Alcan aluminum plant.

The $3.5 billion Kitimat Modernization Project (KMP) was announced in December 2011 and, since that time, the number of workers and companies setting up in town has only risen. At the end of February, there were 2,400 workers involved in the project with 1,300 of the 1,760 beds in the KMP camp filled and single-digit vacancy rates being experienced throughout town.

But those 2,400 workers are just the tip of the iceberg. KMP general manager Gaby Poirier expects the number of workers to peak in June when the camp and a 500-bed cruise ship, brought in to house workers, are both expected to be at capacity.

The project itself will increase the production of the nearly 60-year-old plant by 48 per cent to approximately 420,000 tonnes while utilizing more cost-effective, energy-efficient and environmentallyfriendly technology than what is currently on site. The project itself is more than 65 per cent complete with construction of the new lines and plant components 40 per cent complete. The modernized smelter will be

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KMP AT A GLANCE • More than 65 per cent complete • First pour target for 2015 • 2,400 workers on-site • 960 more expected in June • Largest investment to date powered exclusively by wholly-owned hydropower and use Rio Tinto Alcan’s proprietary AP40 smelting technology to reduce the smelter’s carbon dioxide emissions intensity by approximately 50 per cent.

Poirier said the company is anticipating the commissioning of the plant and the first pour of aluminum will take place in the first quarter of 2015.

Once the modernization is complete, the number of employees at the Kitimat plant will drop from 1,200 to 1,000, with the company planning to use natural attrition to make up most of the reduction in workers.

For more information on the project, visit www.kitimatworksmodernization.com.

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Elementary Dear Watson

By Shaun Thomas

T

he Watson Island Development Corporation (WatCo) hopes to return the former pulp mill in Prince Rupert to the major economic contributor it once was.

A partnership between Colonial Coal International, Lax Kw’alaams and the Metlakatla First Nations, WatCo reached an agreement to purchase Watson Island for $5.5 million in August 2012. The mill had been sitting abandoned since it shut down in 2001 and was acquired by the City of Prince Rupert in 2009 when SunWave Forest Products failed to pay back-taxes.

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WatCo plans to tear down most of the old pulp mill buildings located on the approximately 300-acre island, saving a few buildings and structures such as warehouses and water treatment tanks, to create a logistics and export facility. The plan calls for light industrial and ancillary uses near the entrance, significant bulk storage on the site, bulk liquid storage for products like Canola oil and improvements to an existing concrete dock that can currently handle two Handymax ships at a time. There are also plans for a rail loop around Watson Island to carry the products. Demolition is expected to take 18 months.

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Kitimat Clean “We’re talking about 1,500 direct jobs at the refinery and 1,500 jobs for contractors.”

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By Shaun Thomas

avid Black may be best known as the owner of Black Press, which operates community newspapers throughout the province, but the media mogul has turned his attention to energy as the president of Kitimat Clean

Ltd. The company, formed in the summer of 2012, is proposing construction of an oil refinery in the Kitimat valley between Kitimat and Terrace. It would be the single largest investment in the history of the province.

Between the refinery and eight pipelines to carry various petroleum products to a marine export terminal in Kitimat, the total capital costs associated with the project ring in at approximately $25 billion. The refinery would produce 240,000 barrels per day of diesel, 100,000 barrels per day of gasoline and 50,000 barrels per day of kerosene or aviation fuel, refined from heavy oil.

The direct economic impact of the refinery to the region, however, would also be larger than any other project being considered.

“We are talking about 1,500 direct jobs at the refinery and 1,500 jobs for contractors servicing the facility.

During construction, we would require 6,000 workers for a five-year period... typically there is a one-to-one job ratio with this type of job creation, so that would add another 3,000 indirect jobs,” said Black.

Aside from removing the prospect of bitumen being shipped in the water, Black wants to create a Canadian refinery to ensure the stricter environmental standards in place in the country are adhered to. Black is planning to make the refinery the cleanest in the world, including spending an additional $3 billion to use a technology developed by Expander Energy of Calgary that reduces the greenhouse gases emissions associated with processing heavy oil by 50 per cent per barrel.

“This will broaden the province’s economy, create

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thousands of high paying union and non-union jobs, create work for B.C. contractors and pay a high amount of taxes to the province. Best of all it will improve the world’s environment and that is a key reason why this old newspaper man and his family is so keen on the idea,” he said.

Black hopes to have the Kitimat Clean refinery operational by 2020, and said finding customers shouldn’t be a problem.

“I have had a lot of discussions with the Far East and there is a lot of interest from a number of countries.

There are a variety of reasons they are interested, but the main one is that we can land jet fuel and diesel in their country cheaper than they can make it,” he said.

“We have the financing committed to do this whole project,” added Richard Cook of the Oppenheimer Investment Group.

The refinery, which would be the first constructed in the province, has found a high level of support among residents. A telephone survey of 800 British Columbians conducted last spring found more than 52 per cent support the Kitimat Clean proposal, a number that increases to 66 per cent of those polled if an environmentally-sound method of transporting bitumen from Alberta to the refinery in B.C. was found.

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Northwest powers

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By Shaun Thomas

UP

ith major mining projects proposed north of Stewart along Hwy 37, BC Hydro is putting the finishing touches on a project that will ensure there is plenty of power available.

The Northwest Transmission Line (NTL) is a $746 million undertaking that will run a 287-kilovolt transmission line between the Skeena Substation near Terrace and a new substation near Bob Quinn Lake. The NTL mirrors the existing hydro line along the Nisga’a Highway, but then runs along the opposite side of the highway and north past the existing Meziadin Substation.

Being installed for the 287-kilovolt line are 1,100 towers to carry 2,100 kilometres of conductor wire to both provide electricity to projects in the north and to feed power generated by hydro-electric projects into the provincial grid.

Valard president Adam Budzinski described the project as one of the more challenging the Edmonton-based company has undertaken.

The Northwest Transmission Line will power multiple mining projects.

“It’s not really one project, it’s three or four,” said Budzinski of work going on simultaneously along the line’s route.

When the NTL is complete, anticipated to be this summer, it is expected to facilitate the creation of 4,000 direct and indirect jobs associated with mining development and could create as many as 12,000 direct and indirect jobs within the next decade.

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A rendering of the Kitimat LNG project at Bisch Cove

Taking LNG to the WORLD

By Shaun Thomas

T

he eyes of the energy world are on the North Coast right now as major international companies race to create liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals to meet a growing demand from Asia.

In total there are 10 multi-billion dollar facilities proposed between Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Stewart, Kitsault and Grassy Point, located north of Prince Rupert near the village of Lax Kw’alaams. The catalyst behind this expansion is simple: Major Asian countries are looking for a new form of clean energy.

China is moving away from coal as its main source of power and Japan is moving away from nuclear power following the disaster at the Fukushima plant caused by the 2011 tsunami. The demand for LNG is massive, according to Dr. Andrew Walker, the vice-president of global LNG for the BG Group. Growth in exports are projected to increase from 240 million tonnes in 2012 to 420 million tonnes by 2025.

Although Walker said industry consensus is that

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LNG AT A GLANCE • 10 LNG terminals proposed • 3 in Kitimat, 2 in Rupert, 2 in Grassy Point, 1 in Kitsault, 1 in Stewart, 1 site TBA • Investment to exceed $50 BILLION only a maximum of three LNG terminals will become operational, the number of jobs and economic impact associated with the development of LNG cannot be understated with hundreds of millions of dollars already being spent on preliminary work for the terminals.

What follows is a snapshot of the industry proposed in the region.

SEE PAGE 17

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A rendering of the Prince Rupert Gas project on Ridley Island

Prince Rupert Gas British Gas, more commonly referred to as the BG Group, is proposing to construct an LNG export terminal on Ridley Island in Prince Rupert.

The two-train terminal would occupy approximately 125 hectares and be constructed in two phases. The first phase would include two trains for a total capacity of 14 million tonnes per year while Phase 2 would include the addition of another train for a total capacity of 21 million tonnes per year. The terminal would include two LNG storage containers and the associated trestle and dock infrastructure.

The BG Group has received an export licence from the National Energy Board for up to 21.6 million tonnes per year over the course of 25 years. The BG Group anticipates making a final investment decision in 2016, with the first shipments of LNG leaving Ridley Island in 2020 or 2021.

The total cost of the terminal is approximately $10 billion and, if it proceeds, there would be as many as 3,000 construction jobs and between 400 and 600 full time positions needing to be filled.

Pacific NorthWest LNG Pacific NorthWest LNG, a subsidiary of Malaysian stateowned energy giant Petronas, is proposing to construct an

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LNG export terminal on Lelu Island in Port Edward.

The terminal would have the capability of shipping 12 million tonnes of LNG per year through two trains located on the site. A 2.4-kilometre jetty located on the north end of the island would pipe the gas from the terminal to awaiting ships. The company filed its environmental assessment application with both the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the B.C. Environmental Assessment office in early March and already received an export licence from the National Energy Board to export up to 19.68 million metric tonnes of gas per year over a 25-year period. Pacific NorthWest LNG is expecting to make a final investment decision on the project, which will cost between $9 and $11 billion from start to finish, before the end of the year to be operational between 2018 and 2020.

Pacific NorthWest LNG has garnered international interest in the terminal, signing partnership agreements representing 23 per cent ownership with Japan Petroleum Exploration and the India Oil Company taking a 10 per cent stake and Petroleum Brunei for a three per cent stake in the project.

Should the Lelu Island terminal proceed, a maximum of 4,000 workers would be needed during the construction period and 330 full-time, permanent operational jobs would be created.

SEE PAGE 18

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Kitimat LNG A 50/50 partnership between Apache and Chevron Canada, Kitimat LNG is one of the farthest along of all the proposals.

The National Energy Board granted an export licence for 10 million tonnes of LNG per year for 20 years in October, 2011. The terminal in Bisch Cove will initially produce five million tonnes of LNG per year with plans to eventually double that capacity. In February, Kitimat LNG awarded the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the $4.5 billion project to a joint venture of Fluour Canada and the JGC corporation of Japan. A final investment decision on the terminal is expected to come later this year.

Should the project proceed, Kitimat LNG anticipates the creation of 2,500 construction jobs over a threeyear construction period with another 150 permanent operation positions needing to be filled. Work on a camp at the former Eurocan site is already underway.

LNG Canada The LNG Canada project combines the experience of Shell Canada, Korea Gas Corp., Mitsubishi Corp. and PetroChina to create an LNG terminal in Kitimat.

The terminal would include two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 12 million tonnes per year.

LNG Canada received its export licence for up to 24 million tonnes per year over the course of 20 years last February. The company filed its project description with the federal and B.C. environmental assessment agencies in April and anticipates a final investment decision will be made in late 2015 or early 2016. That would allow

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LNG shipments to Asian customers to begin near the end of the decade.

In total, the LNG Canada terminal comes with a price tag of approximately $12 billion.

Douglas Channel Energy Partnership The only project to include First Nations as a major partner, Douglas Channel Energy plans to operate a small barge-based LNG liquefaction facility on the west bank of Douglas Channel south of Moon Bay. A partnership between the Haisla Nation, LNG Partners, Golar LNG and an unnamed Asian firm, the Douglas Channel Partnership has been awarded an export licence for 1.8 million tonnes of LNG per year for 20 years. The floating terminal will have the ability to produce an initial capacity of 700,000 tonnes of LNG per year with an overall capacity of 900,000 tonnes.

The partners are hoping to begin construction later this year and, because the infrastructure will be built on a barge and then anchored in its permanent location, begin operations in 2015.

Woodside LNG On Jan. 16, Woodside LNG of Australia became the second company to sign an agreement to develop an export terminal on Grassy Point, this time on the southwestern edge of the site.

Details of the project, which will occupy 693.6 hectares of land purchased from the province for $17 million, are still being determined by the company and are in a preliminary stage.

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Aurora LNG Grassy Point projects north of Prince Rupert

Aurora LNG, a partnership between Nexen, INPEX Corporation and JGC Exploration Canada Ltd., signed an exclusivity agreement with the province of B.C. for 614.9 hectares of land on the northern tip of Grassy Point near Lax Kw’alaams to develop an LNG export terminal on the site.

With the agreement in place, the company moved quickly to file for an LNG export licence for 24 million tonnes of LNG per year for 25 years. Although preliminary, Aurora LNG outlined plans for a natural gas liquefaction plant with LNG storage, a marine jetty and a loading dock capable of handling Q-Flex LNG carriers that can carry between 210,000 and 217,000 cubic metres of gas. Plans call for two LNG trains initially, with two additional trains being built as the market and project economics dictate. The facility would allow for the concurrent loading of tankers at adjacent berths.

The company expects the first shipment of LNG to take place between 2021 and 2023.

Triton LNG A partnership between AltaGas Ltd. of Alberta and the Idemitsu Canada Corporation, Triton LNG has applied to the National Energy Board for a 25-year export licence for a floating LNG terminal “in the vicinity of Kitimat or Prince Rupert”.

Triton’s plans include a floating liquefaction storage and offloading (FLSO) vessel, complete with two liquefaction trains and storage for up to 200,000 cubic metres of LNG. The FLSO would have a production capacity of 2.3 million tonnes of LNG per year, with the gas being delivered from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin through Westcoast Energy Inc. Triton LNG is expecting to complete the feasibility study for the project in 2014 and says LNG exports could begin as early as 2017.

Kitsault Energy What was once a major resource community on the coast is now being pitched as the ideal spot for a floating LNG terminal.

The owners of Kitsault Energy, who also own the town itself, are seeking partners for an LNG terminal and cite savings of between $1 and $3 billion for prospective companies because the length of pipeline running from northeastern B.C. would be up to 33 kilometres shorter than accessing Kitimat or Prince Rupert. In December, the company applied for an export licence authorizing the export of up to 20 million tonnes of LNG per year for a term of 25 years. The company intends to initially use smaller floating liquefaction plants beginning in 2018 and adding on to those plants in future years in order to

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export up to 2.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

The company still needs to find partners or investors for planned pipelines, the LNG facilities it wants built at Kitsault and a supply of natural gas itself.

Stewart Energy Group The Stewart Energy Group filed a gas export application with the National Energy Board on March 5, 2014, for a floating LNG terminal that would eventually be moved on land. The floating LNG terminal would have an annual capacity of five million tonnes a year of LNG, but the Stewart group says its land-based terminals would increase its export capability by another 25 million tonnes a year, making it one of the largest of the proposed projects in the region.

While the time line for the project is not yet clear, the Stewart Energy Group said it already has off-take supply agreements signed with energy groups in two major Chinese cities.

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Connecting B.C. Pipelines key to Northwest energy strategy

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ith so much interest in energy exports to serve Asian markets, keeping track of the number of pipelines proposed to move through northwestern B.C. is no easy task.

There are currently six proposals on the table to carry both liquefied natural gas, bitumen and refined oil between either Kitimat or Prince Rupert and northeastern B.C. or Alberta. Each of the pipelines would require a right-of-way running hundreds of kilometres through undeveloped crown land, but each represents a multi-billion dollar investment and millions of dollars in taxes paid to government.

But the reality is that without pipelines, none of the energy projects proposed for the region can happen and the jobs supported by upstream exploration would be at risk as producers find a way to get their product to market.

The following is a snapshot of pipeline activity in the Northwest.

Enbridge Northern Gateway The farthest along of all the pipelines proposed in the region may also be the most well known of them all.

Enbridge is proposing to construct twin 1,177 kilometre pipelines from just outside of Edmonton to a deepwater terminal in Kitimat. The oil pipeline would carry 525,0000 barrels of oil per day from Edmonton to a Kitimat marine terminal that includes two mooring berths and 19 storage tanks.

Following three years of community consultations, the Enbridge Northern Gateway Joint Review Panel recommended approval of the $6 billion project on

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Dec. 19, 2013. The decision now rests with the Federal Cabinet, who have six months from the tabling of the panel’s report to approve or reject the project. Should the government grant approval, construction would begin later this year with operations commencing in 2018. During the construction period, 3,000 construction positions and 62,700 person years of employment would be created.

The pipeline would run north of Hwy 16 and cross it near Burns Lake, would cross Hwy 27 south of Fort St. James and cross Hwy 37 between Kitimat and Terrace.

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TC HIT IN RIV ER

Combined value of pipeline proposals is more than $22 billion

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Serving the proposed LNG Canada terminal, the Coastal GasLink Pipeline is one of two planned for construction by TransCanada Pipelines.

The 650-kilometre pipeline would begin in Dawson Creek and connect to Kitimat, crossing Hwy 27 midway The potential marine between Vanderhoof and Fort St. James and crossing Hwy routes of the 16 just west of Fraser Lake. The initial capacity of the 48Prince Rupert Gas inch pipeline would be 1.7 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

Transmission Project M An application for an Environmental Assessment " ) K I T I M AT- S T I K I N E Certificate was filed with the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office on March 12, 2013 and the project There possible description was filed with the Canadian Environmental S Kare E E two NA-Q U E E N routes still being considered from H Afi Rrst L Owould T T E completely avoid Nisga’a treaty there. CThe Assessment Agency in October, 2012. Pending approval, lands, running north and entering the marine environment construction is scheduled to being next year with just south of Alice Arm. The second would run through the operations beginning in concert with the Kitimat LNG LEGEND Nisga’a territory, mirroring Nass Road and entering the terminals coming online.

RAILROADS " FUTURE COMPRESSOR STATION (CONCEPTUAL) water near Kincolith. Regardless which route is taken, the The cost of the project is estimated to be $4 billion " and NISGA'A LANDS " INITIAL BUILDsubmerged COMPRESSOR STATION (CONCEPTUAL) MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY pipeline would make its way around Grassy TransCanada anticipates up to 2,500 direct jobs will be" PROVINCIAL PARK M METER STATION Point and down past Digby Island before connecting to the created during the two-to-three year construction window. " ) PROTECTED AREA STUDY CORRIDOR terminal at Lelu Island.

CONCEPTUAL CORRIDOR The company hopes to apply for regulatory approval Pacific Trails Pipeline NGTL NORTH MONTNEY MAINLINE EXTENSION EXPRESSWAYfor / HIGHWAY the $5 billion project in the coming months and begin two-year construction period in 2015. The goal is to Kitimat LNG partners Chevron Canada and Apache OTHER ROADa/ ACCESS have the pipeline operational in 2018 to coincide with the Canada each own a 50 per cent stake in the Pacific Trail commencement of operation of the terminal.

Pipeline, which will serve their planned terminal at the end Once complete, the pipeline would have an initial of the Douglas Channel. capacity of 2 billion cubic feet of gas per day with a The pipeline would tie into existing Spectra Energy maximum capacity of 3.6 billion cubic feet per day. infrastructure at Sumit Lake resulting in a length of approximately 460 kilometres. The pipeline would follow Spectra Energy Pipeline a similar route to the Coastal GasLink project, crossing the highways at similar points, but unlike the other LNG A 50/50 partnership between the BG Group and Spectra pipeline would also cross Hwy 37 between Terrace and Energy, plans are in place for an 850 kilometre pipeline Kitimat. between Cypress just south of Fort St. John and Ridley Because of the shorter length of the 42-inch diameter Island in Prince Rupert to serve the BG Group’s proposed pipeline, which would have a capacity of 1 billion cubic feet terminal. per day, the project is expected to cost approximately $1.5 The pipeline will run north of Hwy 16 to Cranberry billion Junction where it will cross Hwy 37.

The 850 kilometre, $6 billion pipeline will include Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipe between 36-inches and 48-inches in diameter with a capacity of up to 4.2 billion cubic feet of gas per day. The The second pipeline to be constructed by TransCanada project is expected to create between 3,000 and 3,600 person Pipelines, the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project will years of employment during construction and between 50 feed the Pacific NorthWest LNG terminal proposed on Lelu and 60 permanent jobs.

Island.

Spectra Energy anticipates filing the environmental The 900-kilometre pipeline would run north of Hwy assessment for the project later this year and anticipates 16 for the entirety of the route, crossing Hwy 37 at the moving gas to Ridley Island in 2019.

Cranberry Junction and heading toward Nisga’a territory.

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Mining the energy highway

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By Shaun Thomas

hile the eyes of the energy export world turn to Prince Rupert and Kitimat, interest from the mining sector is looking north to the area around Hwy 37.

Northern B.C. has become a hotbed for mineral exploration in recent years, which has served as the catalyst for BC Hydro’s Northwest Transmission Line.

Although the size of mines, the minerals being sought and the current status of the projects varies greatly, the potential economic impact of mining in the northwest cannot be understated.

Below is a snapshot of some proposals along Hwy 37 that could bring thousands of workers to the Northwest.

Galore Creek A partnership between NovaGold and Teck Resources, the Galore Creek Mine is expected to be the largest and lowest-cost copper mine in the country.

Located approximately 150 kilometres northwest of Stewart, Galore Creek would be a large-scale open-pit copper-gold-silver mine which would provide ore to a process plant at a nominal rate of 95,000 tonnes per day, or 34.6 million tonnes per year, over an approximate 18-year mine life. The Galore Creek property comprises 298,840 acres and has estimated total measured and indicated reserves of 8.9 million pounds of copper, 8 million ounces of gold and 136 million ounces of silver with inferred

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resources of an additional 3.2 billion pounds of copper, 2.7 million ounces of gold and 47.7 million ounces of silver. “In 2014, along with Teck, NovaGold plans to carry out additional technical studies to further enhance the value of this significant project,� said NovaGold president and CEO Greg Lang.

Kitsault Molybdenum Avanti Mining Inc nearly has all the permits in place for its Kitsault Molybdenum Project, located 140 kilometres northeast of Prince Rupert.

The company has already received its environmental assessment certificate for the mine and the federal review was completed in September, meaning all that is needed now is a decision from the Minister of Environment.

Considered one of the top five Molybdenum assets in the world, the project is the re-development and expansion of a former open-pit mine complete with a processing plant and complimentary infrastructure. The mine would produce 40,000 tonnes of ore per day over a 15-year mine life, with road and marine access for getting the product to market already in place.

The reopening of the mine is projected to create more than 300 high-paying jobs during its 14-year life, and at the peak of construction, more than 700 jobs. The construction period for the $812 million project is estimated at 25 months.

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KSM Currently under review by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, Seabridge Gold’s Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM) project is located 65 kilometres northwest of Stewart.

The mine, a total investment of more than $5 billion, has proven and probable reserves totalling 38.2 million ounces of gold, 9.9 billion pounds of copper, 191 million pounds of silver and 213 pounds of molybdenum. Over the 52-year life of the project, the mine is expected to produce 130,000 tonnes of ore per day in the first 25 years and 90,000 tonnes per day in the following years.

The economic impact of the KSM mine is one of the largest in the region. Seabridge anticipates it will need 1,100 workers during the construction phase and an additional 930 permanent operational jobs once complete.

Arctos Anthracit Project Formerly known as the Mount Klappan Anthracite Metallurgical Coal Project, Fortune Minerals is proposing a 730-hectare mine 240 kilometres north of Hazelton.

The project, which is expected to cost more than $750 million and cover approximately 4,000 hectares, would produce 8,300 tonnes of anthracite coal per day — equal to 3 million metric tonnes per year — over its 25-year life span for export through Prince Rupert.

Fortune Minerals would employ 500 people directly through mine operations while another 1,000 jobs would be created indirectly.

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Brucejack Mine Owned completely by Petrivm, the Brucejack Mine is an advanced-stage, high-grade gold exploration project covering more than 103,000 hectares 65 kilometres north of Stewart.

The underground mine is expected to produce 7.1 million ounces of gold over its 22-year lifespan with an average production of 427,000 ounces of gold in the first 10 years and 321,000 ounces of gold in the latter part.

The project, expected to begin production in 2016, costs $665.3 million and will employ approximately 500 people.

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Summer startup for Red Chris

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By Shaun Thomas

ile many mines are proposed for Hwy 37, none are closer to completion than the Red Chris copper and gold mine.

Located 80 kilometres south of Dease Lake and only 20 kilometres off the highway, the $500 million mine is scheduled to begin operation this June and is expected to employ 300 full-time people.

The open pit mine is designed to have a mill production rate of 30,000 tonnes of ore per day for sale to the export market over its 28-year span, but there would also be 550 tonnes of concentrate produced at the site that would be transported to Stewart for export.

The commissioning of Red Chris has been a lengthy undertaking for Imperial Metals who purchased the site in 2007. Although the environmental assessment permits from the province and the federal government were issued in 2005 and 2006, construction on the site didn’t begin until 2012. At its peak, there were 500 jobs created during the two-year construction window.

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Red Chris is also one of the first mines to take advantage of the Northwest Transmission Line, but will be building its own 93 kilometre, 287-kilovolt line from the Bob Quinn Substation to Tatogga Lake where a smaller line will then run east to connect to the mine site.

As vital as the new project is to the Red Chris mine, it is also part of the overall strategy of providing power to the north using the Northwest Transmission Line as a foundation.

At 287kV, the new project, called the Iskut extension, is larger than what’s needed by the Red Chris mine. Under a deal signed with BC Hydro this spring, the line will be sold to the crown corporation for a flat fee of $52 million with the Imperial subsidiary on the hook for any amount above that.

It means BC Hydro will be ready to supply power through the extension to other customers, primarily mining companies, should their projects prove viable.

Red Chris is proceeding with the co-operation of the Tahltan Nation, which signed a shared decision-making deal with the B.C. government in March 2013.

“The $500 million mine is scheduled to begin operation this June and is expected to employ 300.”

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Endako

Old Reliable

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t is one of the oldest industrial developments in the region and continues to be an economic driver for communities in the interior.

Endako Mines Ltd. was incorporated in June 1962, setting the stage for construction on Endako Mine to begin in 1964. Construction was complete in 1965 at a total cost of $22 million.

What started as a mine capable of producing 16,000 tonnes of ore per day back in 1967 has grown, both through expansion and technology, to its current production of approximately 55,000 tonnes of ore per day.

While there are currently three pits that comprise Endako Mine — the Endako, Denak West and Denako

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East — plans are in place for the creation of a single super pit by mining the walls between the three existing pits.

Endako Mine is operated as a joint venture, with Thompson Creek holding a 75 per cent interest and Sojitz Corporation, a Japanese company, holding a 25 per cent interest.

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New life for Huckleberry Mine

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By Shaun Thomas

or the past 17 years, Huckleberry Mine has been an integral part of the economy for the Houston region.

But, as with every mine, Huckleberry was inching closer to the end of its projected life span as years went by. The mine was given new life in 2012, however, as the board of directors of Huckleberry Mines Ltd. voted to approve a Main Zone Optimization (MZO) plan that will extend operations of the mine through to 2021.

The expansion is not coming cheap to co-owners Huckleberry Mines Ltd. and Imperial Metals, but the benefits to the Northwest are more than significant.

Without the expansion, 230 full-time positions and another 30 contract positions on the site would be lost.

In addition to keeping the jobs that exist at the mine, 70 new positions are being created. With the expansion, Huckleberry Mines anticipated spending approximately $254.4 million on wages and benefits, $119 million on new acquisition and $82 million on the construction of a dam.

The increase in employment comes despite a

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“The Main Zone Optimization Plan ... will extend operations of the mine through to 2021.” decrease in production for the expanded mine. Since the commencement of operation in 1997 through to the end of 2010, aggregate production was 870 million pounds of copper, 8 million pounds of molybdenum, 105,000 ounces of gold and 3.4 million ounces of silver. From 2011 through to the end of the mine’s expected lifespan, production is estimated to be 424 million pounds of copper. The average production is 43.2 million tonnes per year through to 2019, while production will be reduced in 2020 and 2021 as low grade stock piles are milled.

The mine has been temporarily shut down for up to four months for repairs after it was discovered there was a broken tooth in the bull gear of the SAG mill on site.

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Production begins at Mt. Milligan

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By Shaun Thomas

fter years of construction and preparation, the Mount Milligan mine 92 kilometres north of Fort St. James is up and running.

Construction on the $1.57 billion project began in 2010, following the purchase of the property

by Thomspon Creek Metals from Terrane Metals, and the commissioning took place on Oct. 8, 2013 with the first shipment of concentrate being shipped from Vancouver on Nov. 21. Getting the mine up and running in such a short period of time is something those involved in the mine call a point of pride.

“What we’ve experienced at Mount Milligan … is nothing short of a very extraordinary accomplishment,” said Dennis Hoof, Mount Milligan vice-president and general manager.

“This means everything for our company ... we have worked a long time to get to this point,” added Thompson

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Creek Metals chairman and CEO Kevin Loughrey.

The conventional truck-shovel open pit mine is expected to produce 81 million pounds of copper and 195,000 ounces of gold annually over an estimated 22-year mine life. The mine plan calls for the extraction of 110,000 tonnes per day.

The site includes a 60,000 tonne per day processing plant that will take the ore and process it into copper concentrate to be shipped overseas for final processing.

The semi-autogenous grinding mill is one of only three mills of its kind in the world, is the largest in North America and is powered by a 23.5 megawatt gearless - Dennis Hoof motor drive capable of handling 2,717 tonnes per hour. The first concentrate was shipped from the mine on Sept. 24, 2013.

There are approximately 350 people working at the mine, with more than 60 per cent of employees coming from the Fort St. James/Vanderhoof/Prince George area, and 1,000 additional jobs were created during the construction phase.

“What we’ve experienced at Mount Milligan ... is nothing short of a very extraordinary accomplishment.”

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Pellets drive

forestry resurgence

By Shaun Thomas

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he forest industry, long the economic backbone of the Northwest, is experiencing a resurgence as demand for lumber in Asia grows.

Along with traditional milled lumber, the forest industry is benefiting from increased demand for clean-burning wood pellets to heat homes abroad. In November, Pinnacle Renewable Resources commenced operations of its $42 million Westview Terminal pellet export facility on Prince Rupert’s waterfront and has so

far shipped more than 50,000 tonnes of pellets from the company’s plants in Houston, Burns Lake and Quesnel.

With the early success of the Westview operation, Pinnacle announced a new partnership with Coast Tsimshian Resources on Dec. 6 for the creation of a wood pellet manufacturing facility in Terrace using fibre from the area.

The plant – the location of which is yet to be confirmed – is expected to create close to 200 jobs in the region.

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Wind Power Innergex chooses Vanderhoof as site of clean energy creation

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By Shaun Thomas

he hills around Vanderhooof may soon be home to the only wind farm in the Northwest as Innergex continues work on the Nulki Hills Wind Project.

Located approximately 30 kilometres south of Vanderhoof, Innergex expects to build a maximum of 70 wind turbines that stand approximately 120 metres high, including the rotor. Each turbine produces enough to supply 1,000 homes for a year, so they expect to produce enough power to supply 70,000 homes, or 550 to 650 Gigawatt hours per year.

“If everything goes well, our project could start construction in 2016 and a project of this size takes about two years to build,” explained Innergex director of public affairs Bas Brusche, noting the company is on the lookout for the hundreds of workers that will be needed.

“We need between 200 and 300 people to help us out with the construction of the project ... we are actively using all kinds of businesses in Vanderhoof and that will only increase.”

Innergex hopes to begin operations in 2018, at which point only a handful of people will be needed to run and maintain the turbines. However, more jobs will be “So if you keep it updated it can be in activity for created to maintain and clear the 60 kilometres of new many decades.” road that will extend from the The Nulki Hills Wind Project Kluskus Forest Service Road is currently undergoing a B.C. and Corkscrew 300 road to the Environmental Assessment. The project site. partners will work together to obtain an While much of the talk in Environmental Assessment Certificate the region is related to liquefied from the province and an electricity natural gas and oil exports, purchase agreement from BC Hydro for Brusche said wind energy this project, which could deliver power should be appealing for British to the grid by late 2018.

Columbians in the years ahead.

Should it proceed, the Nulki Hills “The interesting thing about Project would be only the fourth wind wind is that the turbines keep - Bas Brusche farm project in the province and the first getting cheaper and more east of Prince George. The others include efficient, which means you can the Quality Wind project near Tumbler get more power over the years for less money out of the Ridge, the Dokie Ridge Wind Farm near Chetwynd and same types of turbine,” he said. the Bear Mountain Wind Park near Dawson Creek.

“We need between 200 and 300 people to help us out with the construction.”

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April 2014

Career Opportunities

CERTIFIED OBSERVER /SERVICE TECHNICIAN PRINCE RUPERT, BC Archipelago Marine Research Ltd is seeking a reliable and motivated individual to work as a certified observer and/or electronic monitoring service technician in Prince Rupert. The hours of work and schedules are variable, based on season, and will involve evening and weekend work. Training will be provided to the successful candidate How to Apply Visit us at www.archipelago.ca for a full job description and how to apply.

Trade connects us.

Colin, Elaine and workers like them are building the Port of Prince Rupert’s Road, Rail, and Utility Corridor. Once the two-year construction project is complete, our gateway will move more cargo to overseas markets. That means jobs and prosperity for people in northern BC. Our terminals may be located in Prince Rupert, but we’re building connections clear across Canada—and the globe. Learn about the value of trade at www.rupertport.com/connections.

A proposed liquefied natural gas facility located on Lelu Island within the District of Port Edward.

Pacific NorthWest LNG would generate significant benefits for northwest British Columbia and the rest of the province.

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330 new careers operating the facility

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300 local spin-off jobs

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4,000 construction jobs at peak activity

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$1 billion in new annual revenue for local, provincial and federal governments

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Contracting opportunities for local and regional businesses

Visit www.PacificNorthWestLNG.com to learn more about the project and follow our progress.

Canadian Energy. Global Reach.