OTTAWA — India's High Commissioner to Canada says Canada should expand its pipeline network and energy export capacity, arguing the country has a limited window to capitalize on its vast oil and natural gas reserves.In an interview with the Western Standard, India's High Commissioner, Shri Dinesh K. Patnaik, said India is looking to increase energy imports from Canada as it seeks to diversify its supply..“Canada is an energy superpower,” Patnaik said. “We need to buy more from Canada. Canada needs to put its situation together to be able to sell to all of us.”Asked whether that means Canada needs more pipelines and export capacity, Patnaik replied, “Yes.”When pressed on whether he supports the view, particularly in Alberta, that expanding pipeline infrastructure is in Canada's national interest, Patnaik said the issue extends beyond Canada's relationship with India.“Not India, just for Canada,” he said. “India-Canada of course, but Canada itself is an energy...”.Patnaik argued Canada possesses far more oil and natural gas than it is likely to use before changes in the global energy mix reduce demand.“Canada has more than 250 years of energy under the ground,” he said. “The way the world is moving, we will need this kind of energy for only the next 30, 40, 50 years. After that energy profile will change... the need of oil and gas will go down in the future.”He said Canada risks leaving valuable resources undeveloped if it does not expand its export infrastructure.“So Canada only has 40 years to take out 250 years of gas or oil and gas from under its field. Otherwise it's a wasted resource,” Patnaik said.“And so for Canada's benefit and for the global benefit, Canada needs to do more to be able to sell its resources, and we are willing to partner with Canada on that.”Patnaik also pointed to India's growing reliance on North American energy, noting the country previously imported no energy from the United States but now sources more than half of its liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas from there.“At one time we used to have zero imports from the US of energy. Today, more than 50% of our LNG capacity and LPG capacity comes from the US We are getting crude from the US,” he said.“For us, Canada has become a new area from where we want to do more oil and gas. And we can do easily with Canada.”The comments come as Alberta continues to advocate for additional pipeline capacity to Canada's west coast, arguing expanded export infrastructure is needed to access growing energy markets in Asia and reduce Canada's dependence on the United States as its primary customer.
