Vancouver-based Pacific Energy Future Corp. today announced plans to build a $10 billion oil refinery in British Columbia. Via Reuters, it is the second new refinery proposed to process heavy crude from Alberta’s oil sands on Canada’s west coast. Samer Salameh, head of Pacific Energy Future Corp., said it would take about three years to get the necessary permits to build the refinery, and that it could begin processing crude within seven years. Salameh’s firm faces opposition from local environmental and indigenous groups, who have also fought to keep pipeline infrastructure proposed for Canada’s west coast from being built.
The refinery would process 200,000 barrels of oil sands crude per day in its first phase, but could be expanded to handle 1 million barrels per day in the future.
