Quebec, New Brunswick to study crude oil project

Preliminary talks between Premier Pauline Marois and New Brunswick Premier David Alward hint at the possibility of crude oil from Western Canada coming to Quebec.

According to the Montreal Gazette, after a meeting Monday Marois and Alward announced their agreement to study the five billion dollar pipeline project.

The oil will pass through Quebec’s Sumcor and Ultramar refineries then move on to the Irving Oil refinery in New Brunswick.

TransCanada Corporation’s plan is to reverse part of its Canadian Mainline running from Hardisty, Alberta to Montreal and build a new route towards the Quebec City area.

A spokesperson for TransCanada says that the company has not finalized a route or whether the proposal will be approved.

Currently the only sources of crude oil for Quebec refineries are the North Sea, Algeria, and other refineries.

Environment Minister Yves-François Blanchet says that the province will evaluate the environmental impact of the project.

STORY WRITTEN BY: AISHA SAMU