Rising government costs, the burden of inefficient regulations and the lack of infrastructure to move Canadian energy to growing markets are all undermining investor confidence in Canada and negatively affecting the country's ability to attract the capital needed to create jobs and national prosperity, according to "A Global Vision for Canadian Oil and Natural Gas," the first in a series of economic reports to be released by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) in 2018.
Around the world, capital investment in the oil and natural gas sector increased globally in 2017 but was down in Canada. Total capital spending on Canadian oil and natural gas was $45 billion in 2017, down 19 percent from 2016 and 46 percent from 2014. In comparison, capital spending on oil and natural gas in the U.S. last year increased by 38 percent to $120 billion. It's taken Canada 150 years to grow its oil and natural gas production to current levels and only eight years for the U.S. to accomplish the same.
Capital investment in Canada's energy sector generates economic activity across the country, spurring job creation and growth for all levels of government, including about $19 billion in annual government revenues in 2015 and 533,000 jobs across the nation in 2017.
This analysis has led CAPP to call on the federal government to establish a four-part vision for the oil and natural gas sector that creates jobs for Canadians and national prosperity:
- Global connection for Canada's oil and natural gas resources is essential.
- Globally competitive policies that increase the country's ability to attract capital are needed to create jobs and national prosperity.
- Any climate plan must be comparable to other jurisdictions competing for the same global capital.
- Government policies must spur on and accelerate innovation and technology in the oil and natural gas sector.
For more information, visit www.capp.ca or call (403) 267-1100. â¢