Some The First Nations of Alberta notified the provincial government and Energy industry that they should be consulted and shared the benefits of carbon capture projects near their land that are important to implement oils and oils more climate-friendly.
Cameron Alexis, head of department Business companies of Tribal Chiefsincluding the first six Six Nations Pact near Cold Lake, Alta.
“However, those big players didn’t come to First Nations in the first place.
“We are an afterthought and that is not true.”
The six largest oil producers and producers – Suncor, Cenovus Energy, Canadian Natural, MEG Energy and Imperial Oil – have formed a group called Oil Sands Pathways to work together to figure out how to reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. and bring them to net zero.
Its plans are largely based on carbon capture and storage, which will collect carbon dioxide from large emitters at oilfields, bring it to a central location, and deliver it deep underground. soil in geological formations to keep carbon safely out of the atmosphere.
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But Alexis points out that much of the infrastructure, as well as the underground works being used, will be on or near traditional First Nations territory.
“We want full and inclusive consultation.”
Alexis said the bands will also seek to negotiate impact and benefit agreements. And they will want to do research to make sure the developments are safe for the land and the people.
The directors met with heads of oil and gas companies and said they had sent a letter to Prime Minister Jason Kenney to express their concerns.
Justin Brattinga, a spokesman for Kenney’s office, said the province has no record of any letters from its frontmen or bands on the matter.
“The project has not progressed enough for us to be part of the process,” he said in an email.
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Kendall Dilling, the interim head of Pathways, said negotiations with the First Nations had just begun.
“They wanted to be intimately involved in this journey,” he said. “Most of this infrastructure will be on their traditional land and they want to be on the table.”
Dilling said carbon dioxide pipelines are expected to mostly follow existing right-of-way passages. He said the pumping facility will include about 16 wells that look like a natural gas field that First Nations are familiar with.
Dilling said there is no underground storage space that the companies have applied to use.
The leaders had a meeting with Pathways. He said they were looking for more than just construction work.
“They want longer-term and more predictable revenue streams.”
That could include equity, Dilling said, similar to how some First Nations have taken ownership of farms and pipelines and oil storage tanks.
“We’re open to exploring it.”
Dilling said sheriffs are also concerned that the environmental monitoring of any carbon storage project must be well planned and thorough.
“We will work with First Nations requests.”
But Alexis said oil and gas producers first announced their plans last fall, and the consultation process began just over six months later.
He said the First Nations should have been involved in the first place, not just fit in with what was already laid out.
“These things should have happened before there were footprints.”
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