Canada looking beyond U.S. to sell oil

CALGARY- The federal government says Canada is doing a good job of monitoring the environmental impact of oil sands—but needs to find new markets.

Calgary MP Michelle Rempel spoke to delegates at the Oil Sands and Heavy Oil Technologies conference on Wednesday, saying Canada is leading the world in the application of innovative technology.

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However, she stressed that Canada needs to look beyond the U.S. to sell its oil.

“I think to say that we’re at a pivotal moment in the growth of this industry is probably a bit of an understatement,” Rempel said. “We are blessed with an enormous endowment of natural resources on the energy side, but we’re largely tied to one customer.

“And no matter what industry you’re in, that’s not a good thing.”

Meantime, the U.S. State Department is expected to release its final report on the Keystone XL pipeline proposal in the coming weeks. It will then be up to President Barack Obama to approve the controversial project.