Forum
Dalhousie's natural gas program gets interest from 7 companies
Submissions are being assessed and exploratory drilling could begin in July
Officials at Dalhousie University have received submissions from seven companies interested in exploratory onshore natural gas projects in Nova Scotia.
The Halifax-based university was tapped by the provincial government in December to oversee the province's subsurface energy investment program. Of the $30 million the province is putting toward the project, about $25 million is for incentives to developers.
The deadline for submissions was April 15. A statement from the university said screening and technical evaluation of the applications would be the next step.
“Dalhousie and the Nova Scotia Government engaged with a number of companies through this program, that engagement has been promising and we received valuable feedback on the call,” Dal spokesperson Janet Bryson said in the statement.
In a statement, Energy Department officials welcomed the news.
"This much interest after more than a decade of inactivity shows we have people [who] see value here in Nova Scotia. There is still work to do to ensure these bids are in the best interest of the people and province and we trust Dalhousie to do that."
Upcoming public engagement meetings
University officials overseeing the project have four public engagement meetings scheduled for next week:
- Monday, April 20, at the Super 8 in Windsor, 5-7 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 21, (virtual) 2-4 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 22, at the Amherst Fire Hall, 5-7 p.m.
- Thursday, April 23, at the Pictou County Wellness Centre, 5-7 p.m.
Dalhousie will also co-ordinate additional engagement sessions with Mi’kmaw communities in the province.
Ken Summers, a member of the non-profit organization NOFRAC, which opposes fracking in the province, said he doubts there’s anything anyone could say during the public forums that would dissuade the government from moving ahead with plans to foster development.
“These open houses are public relations exercises,” he said. |Read more|