The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that Alberta Energy Ministry spokesman Mike McKinnon on Friday defended the oil curtailment policy, saying production limits have been applied "fairly and equitably" and the differential is expected to settle at a more sustainable level.
The Globe's James Keller writes that reaction to the curtailment policy has been mixed within the industry, with integrated producers that have refining capacity and benefit from low prices objecting to the measure. Imperial Oil, Suncor Energy and Husky Energy have been vocal in their opposition. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers released a report last month outlining measures that it wants to see adopted in the coming election campaign, representing a direct challenge to the NDP government's energy and climate policies.
Canadian Natural Resources, which has supported the broad policy of curtailment, warned last month that changes to how each company's production limits were calculated meant it would shut down its ECHO pipeline for February and March.
CNRL, however, on Friday confirmed that the province's decision to increase production by 75,000 barrels a day for the next two months prompted it to reconsider.
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