Alberta oil shipped through Panama Canal to Atlantic Canada to avert COVID-19 threat to energy supply: Relying on non-Canadian suppliers has never been an issue for the
refinery. Even during the low points of Canadian-Saudi relations in the
summer of 2018 and periods of increased tension in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has been one of its principal suppliers. (Part of this may be attributable to the fact that about 60 per cent of the refinery’s output is shipped to New England and U.S.-Saudi relations could be affected if Saudi Arabia’s supplies to the Saint John refinery were disrupted.)

However, COVID-19 is a concern for those running the refinery. In
April, Irving Oil applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency to use
tankers from unspecified, non-Canadian suppliers for these two
shipments, as per the requirements of the Coasting Trade Act. In each
application it was made clear that the company’s overriding concern was
the impact COVID-19 could have on about 80 per cent of its crude oil
supply shipped from non-Canadian sources.

This is a legitimate concern.

Alberta oil shipped through Panama Canal to Atlantic Canada to avert COVID-19 threat to energy supply: Relying on non-Canadian suppliers has never been an issue for the
refinery. Even during the low points of Canadian-Saudi relations in the
summer of 2018 and periods of increased tension in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has been one of its principal suppliers. (Part of this may be attributable to the fact that about 60 per cent of the refinery’s output is shipped to New England and U.S.-Saudi relations could be affected if Saudi Arabia’s supplies to the Saint John refinery were disrupted.)However, COVID-19 is a concern for those running the refinery. In
April, Irving Oil applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency to use
tankers from unspecified, non-Canadian suppliers for these two
shipments, as per the requirements of the Coasting Trade Act. In each
application it was made clear that the company’s overriding concern was
the impact COVID-19 could have on about 80 per cent of its crude oil
supply shipped from non-Canadian sources. This is a legitimate concern.Read More