Refinery project's impact 'huge'

[ldoto]

Refinery project's impact 'huge'

Sun, March 11, 2007

Shell wants to build the plant in the Sarnia area.

By CHIP MARTIN, SUN MEDIA



The first public meeting about Shell Canada's plans to build North America's first completely new refinery in more than two decades -- a multi- billion-dollar project --comes this month.

If built, says an optimistic Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, the refinery would be the largest construction project in Ontario history and would turn the Sarnia area into "a mini-Alberta," with far-reaching economic and social impacts.

And it could ensure Ontario has a secure local oil supply for years to come.

The "heavy oil" refinery is intended to process oil derived from the oil sands of Northern Alberta.

Residents of the Sarnia area, where the multibillion project could rise, will be asked to comment on the proposed terms of reference for an environmental assessment. Details will be provided later, said a "notice of project commencement" in yesterday's London Free Press.

The new refinery would boost the security and amount of gasoline in Ontario and reduce the risk of supply shortages such as the current one where stations are closed and prices have spiked because of fires at Imperial Oil refineries in Sarnia and Nanticoke.

Shell Canada has a refinery on 162 hectares within Sarnia, but last fall the company took an option on another 2,023 hectares immediately south of the city in St. Clair Township. At the time, it announced a $50-million project to consider the feasibility of a refinery there. It also established a project assessment team in Sarnia.

LeighAnne Richardson, communications co-ordinator for Shell Canada, said yesterday the company announced the public meetings for March 28 and 29 to comply with Ontario's environment assessment process.

She cautioned a final decision about construction won't be made by Shell for two or three years. If approved, a the plant would be on-line in 2012 or 2013.

Richardson said Shell wants a new refinery to boost supply in the Ontario market. Shell's last new refinery was built in Northern Alberta in 1984 and that remains North America's newest refinery built from scratch.

The Shell spokesperson said the cost of the refinery and the size of its workforce will depend on the design and the scope of the project. All that will be determined by the project team in Sarnia.

Richardson conceded refineries are expensive and a price tag in the billions is not out of the question.

"It would be a significant investment," Richardson said.

Bradley said he met with Shell officials as recently as last week. He predicted the plant could cost as much as $6 billion to $8 billion and provide as many as 600 to 700 jobs.

"This will have a huge regional impact," Bradley said. He's hoping to be ready for the construction boom to ensure the most needy in his community aren't displaced as housing prices escalate and construction workers flood in.

The mayor said real estate prices have already begun to rise as word gets around that the area may soon become a boomtown. Already, he said, the region has become an importer of construction workers.

Bradley is also anxious the Sarnia region doesn't get sidetracked in its efforts at economic diversification to wean the Chemical Valley off its heavy dependence on oil.

Aside from the benefit for Sarnia and the region, Bradley said a new refinery would be good news to the province's motorists.

"Ontario's gas tanks won't run dry," he predicted, noting Sarnia already produces 40 per cent of the oil and gas and petrochemicals in Eastern Canada.

Richardson and Bradley said the new refinery, if built, would be environmentally responsible and have no connections with the St. Clair River.

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THE PROJECT

If they build it, the proposed Shell Canada Refinery near Sarnia would:

- Be North America's first new oil refinery since 1984

- Refine heavy oil from the Alberta oil sands

- Cost as much as $6 billion to $8 billion

- Employ as many as 700 full-time workers;

- Be located on more than 2,000 hectares in St. Clair Township, immediately south of the Sarnia border

[raisethehammer]

just please make sure the friggin thing is clean.
The wind blows from Sarnia right up across the rest of the province.
These oil companies are rolling in dough. The least local residents should demand is a perfectly safe and clean operation.
We DON'T want Alberta's sickness and smog.

[MolsonExport]

Wasn't there a plan to build another refinery adjacent to the existing one in Saint John (NB)?

[flar]

There are already many petrochemical plants in this area--it's the Chemical Valley. The St. Clair River used to be a major pollution hotspot. It probably still is but less so than 20 years ago. Hopefully contemporary environmental standards will make this plant cleaner than the existing ones. Be glad you're not my uncle--his house is across the road from where this will be built.

[the dude]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

The least local residents should demand is a perfectly safe and clean operation.

they won't. they'll take the jobs and be thankful for it.

[ldoto]

Shell Considering a New Oil Refinery for Ontario

For the first time in two decades, a major oil company is planning to build a new oil refinery in North America.
Shell is considering a plan to build the new refinery in Sarnia.

And hot on the heels of the fire that shut down Imperial Oil's Nanticoke refinery, the Shell refinery would primarily produce oil and gasoline for the Ontario market.

The refinery would be massive, pumping out 150-250,000 barrels per day. It would occupy 5,400 acres of land, and could cost eight billion dollars build. In fact the project is so big that construction labour would have to brought in to help build it.

And in case anyone thinks this is a dream project that Shell will never actually build, the company is investing $50-million just to study the feasability.

[farracres]

Yes the impact is huge. More so to the residents of this area where the proposed refinery is to be built. We will lose a huge area of farm and recreational areas to Shell. Along with over 400 residences. All this for a maximum of 300 permanent jobs none of which will come from this area. As for the comment we will take the jobs and be thankful for them, that is not true. There are no jobs either in the construction or running of this plant for any residents of this area. Mayor Bradley is from Sarnia, 40 mins north of the proposed plant. He really does not have anything to do with nor should he have any opinion on it if he has not talked to the residents of that area, and so far in the year and a half he has not. As for the 260,000 barrels of tar sands oil that will be refined, we who live here have been told that the reason they want to build in this area is for the pipelines that go to Michigan, AND the access to the shipping lanes. Do not ever kid yourselves that the product will stay in Ontario......you all fell for that with Ontario Hydro many years ago, and look were that got you.
With prevailing winds to the SW for the majority of the year, be prepared for major pollution fallout from this refinery, to see what the impact area is check out the ToR maps. The true scope of the recent fire at IOL Sarnia has not been revealed but from those involved in the clean up it was definitely a missed bullet. If it had not been for quick action by a laborer, the entire plant could have been reduced to rubble. No wonder Bradley wants the Shell refinery down river........
I feel for your Uncle, even being across the road he is under threat of expropriation now. They have expanded their 'acquisitions' to include much more than was first proposed. I am in the middle of the "big blue egg". I do not want to move, the offers we have received over the past year will not allow us to ever live on the river again, or even in this area. My home was also my place of business and my husbands. As is always the case there is more to this story than just jobs, there is the lack of understanding that Shell has shown, the threats, the harassment when we will not sign their meager option offers and the anger of Sarnia residents who call us selfish and greedy for not want to give up homesteads established decades ago.
NO we are not thankful in any way shape or form. This is NOT the place to build this refinery. Maybe your street is though. 50 million could go a long way toward finding alternative sources of energy.....or to buying large subdivisions in London and building there. Sometimes its about more than the money.

[Coldrsx]

good on sarnia...

there is one being planned beside Edmonton to the east as well as 10 upgraders...total $ = 40billion

i have no idea where we will find the people to build em.

[neilson]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

good on sarnia...

there is one being planned beside Edmonton to the east as well as 10 upgraders...total $ = 40billion

i have no idea where we will find the people to build em.

Mexico? We're all one big NAFTA family!

[feepa]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

We DON'T want Alberta's sickness and smog.

LOL!!!!!!
Cause Ontario doesn't have any pollution or smog!!!!

Alberta sickness!!!!

get over yourself dude.