In an effort to keep the country’s citizens informed on the latest happenings in the industry, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) said that it has teamed with the Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (SEPAC) to create a new, independent center of knowledge about the Canadian oil and gas industry.

CAPP said the Canadian center for energy education will be national in scope. Using the Internet, the center will offer timely, objective information and promote understanding of the pivotal role the industry plays in the Canadian and North American economies. As a public/private partnership, the center will be funded by both government and private industry.

“The center will be the pre-eminent source of knowledge on the Canadian oil and gas industry,” said Jim Simpson, CAPP chairman, Chevron Canada Resources. “It will give all Canadians the opportunity to get informed and get involved in an industry that has shaped our past and will power our future.”

Simpson said that all members of the oil and gas industry and government are invited to support the new venture. Over the next several weeks, CAPP and SEPAC are expected to meet with other related industry associations and organizations to define common areas of interest and potential efficiencies.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein endorsed the initiative, noting that the provincial government is pleased to support an energy education center that provides facts on such a crucial industry.

“Canada’s energy industry makes a dramatic contribution to our economy and society in terms of jobs, R&D spending, tax revenues and our balance of trade with other countries. Yet the stakes for the industry have never been higher,” said Klein. “Canadians are facing major policy decisions about the future of the energy industry, and people need ready access to credible, objective, high-quality information on such issues as industry expansion and continental energy markets.”

According to CAPP, the petroleum industry last year provided $15 billion in tax and royalty payments to government revenues across the country, employed more than 500,000 people and invested nearly $25 billion, the largest of any private sector investor in Canada. In addition, the oil and natural gas trade surplus accounted for 50% of Canada’s trade balance last year.

The new center will also provide the public at large with an overview of the industry’s growth and contributions to society as well as challenges and issues for the future.

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