The Port of Churchill, Canada's only Arctic seaport, is being eyed as a potential oil-export terminal.
At a community meeting in Thompson this August, Denver-based OmniTrax Inc., which owns both the Hudson Bay Railway and Hudson Bay Port Co., floated the idea of "moving unrefined petroleum products" through the Port of Churchill.
OmniTrax wants to ship 330,000 barrels of crude oil in a test this October.
According to Jeff McEachern, executive director of Churchill Gateway Development Corp., the plan has merit despite the relatively short shipping season, which runs from July to late October. Icebreakers could be used to extend the season, experts say.
Exporting oil through the Port of Churchill would help Alberta oil producers, who are struggling with transport capacity in a bid to reach foreign markets.
A decision on the plan is expected early next year. The first oil shipments could start in mid-summer 2014, if approved.
from Western Investor November 2013
