January 26, 2024
Canada has taken possession of all 227 offshore oil and gas exploration and production permits off its Pacific coast as part of a voluntary relinquishment procedure for the area’s last remaining permits.
All offshore oil and gas activities on Canada’s west coast have been subject to a federal ban since 1972, although licences issued prior to that date remained open and available for development.
According to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, the relinquishment of the permits was a significant step towards permanently conserving the ecologically rich seas of Canada’s west coast.
Chevron Canada owned the final 23 permits, which it voluntarily ceded in February 2024, putting an end to further hydrocarbon extraction activities in the area. Last year, U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil relinquished nine permits it held.
Source: Energy Ghana