World wants more Canadian oil and natural gas – Ipsos survey

India and China forecast energy demand to increase by 49% and 46% respectively

The world sees Canadian oil and natural gas as part of the energy future and a preferred source of energy imports, according to a new global research survey, 2017 Global Energy Pulse, the first-of-its-kind conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

CAPP’s 2016 forecast estimates Canadian oil production will increase 28 per cent by 2030 to 4.9 million barrels per day from 3.8 million b/d. The oil sands will drive growth with 3.7 million b/d of production.

Of the more than 22,000 respondents in 32 countries, 31 per cent said Canada is the preferred choice for oil and natural gas imports, putting us at the top of the list of 11 producing countries, according to a CAPP press release.

Another 54 per cent of global respondents were neutral or admitted they didn’t know enough about Canada’s industry to make an informed decision – creating an opportunity to share our energy story better.

The top five countries with the greatest interest in importing Canadian oil and natural gas included Israel, the U.S., Algeria, India, and South Africa.

“With global energy demand forecasted to grow 31 per cent by 2040, Canadian oil and natural gas is poised to become a major supplier in meeting the world’s needs,” said Jeff Gaulin, VP Communications, CAPP.

Likewise, about 68 per cent of Canadians agreed Canada’s energy should be the primary supplier of oil and natural gas to meet our own country’s growing energy demands, rather than imports from other nations.

In 2016 Canada imported 609,000 barrels per day and 1.7 billion cubic feet per day from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Angola, and Norway to supply Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Quebec.

Among those supportive of Canadian imports, India and China – forecast by the International Energy Agency to see energy demand increase 49 and 46 per cent, respectively, by 2040 – rated Canada’s oil and natural gas industry high for its leading-edge technologies to minimize environmental impacts.

Of the people surveyed globally, more than half believed oil and natural gas made their lives better. The industry was also seen as having a positive economic impact on communities, strong financial performance, producing high-quality products, and supporting socio-economic development.

Although a large portion of those surveyed were undecided about Canada’s oil and natural gas industry, Canada’s innovation story is emerging in the energy sector due to significant initiatives like Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), according to CAPP.

Organizations like the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) are collaborating on capture, development and innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve reclamation and remediation, reduce water use, and eliminate tailings ponds.

Since 2012, COSIA members have invested $1.33 billion to create more than 930 distinct environmental technologies and innovations.

Our story demonstrates our commitment to the environment and the planet. It’s time Canadians and the rest of the world heard our story.

“Accessing international markets is crucial to strengthen Canada’s energy future and compete globally.  The world expects Canada to lead when it comes to environmental innovation and no one holds Canada’s energy industry more accountable than Canadians,” said Gaulin.

For the results of this survey, an international sample of 22,000 adults aged 18-64 in the U.S. and Canada, and age 16-64 in all other countries, were interviewed. Approximately 1,000+ individuals participated on a country by country basis via the Ipsos Online Panel, though some countries had a sample of approximately 500+. The precision of Ipsos online polls are calculated using a credibility interval with a poll of 1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points.

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