A liquefied natural gas (LNG) project proposed by Imperial Oil Limited and Exxon Mobil Corporation for British Columbia has bowed out of the environmental assessment process.
The project proponent, WCC LNG Project Ltd., is a federal corporation with its current shareholder being WCC LNG Holdings Ltd. The shareholders of WCC LNG Holdings Ltd. are ExxonMobil Canada Ltd. and Imperial Oil Resources Limited.
WCC LNG was a proposed project to develop and operate a LNG export facility at Tuck Inlet in Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
A letter from the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) to Scott Pinhey, vice-president of WCC LNG Project Ltd. stated: “This letter is in response to your letter dated December 5, 2018, requesting the withdrawal of the WCC LNG project from the provincial and federal environmental assessment (EA) processes.
“The Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has granted the request and the WCC LNG project has been formally withdrawn from the environmental assessment process under the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act.
“If you later decide to pursue the WCC LNG project again, you will be required to start the process over with the submission of a new project description and associated fees. In that case, the EAO may work with you to determine what work, already completed under the withdrawn EA, is still relevant and could be carried over to the new EA.”
“After careful review, ExxonMobil and Imperial have withdrawn the WCC LNG project from the environmental assessment process,” confirmed ExxonMobil spokesperson Julie King. “We remain committed to our Canada operations and to ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of oil and gas to our customers.
“ExxonMobil and Imperial continuously evaluate their respective portfolios, taking advantage of opportunities as they become available to invest, restructure or divest assets to strengthen our long-term competitive position and provide the highest return to shareholders.”
