Petronas abandons Canadian LNG
British Columbia's gas export dreams took another hit with the axing of the Pacific NorthWest project
When Petronas, Malaysia's national oil company, first proposed a massive C$36bn ($28.64bn) liquefied natural gas project on Canada's west coast in 2012, it looked like a sure bet. Prospects for global LNG appeared bright and Canada, with abundant supplies of unconventional gas and declining exports to the US, seemed a logical choice for large-scale exports. Petronas enrolled high-profile buyers in Japan's Japex, China's Sinopec, Indian Oil Corporation, and PetroleumBrunei as partners in an ambitious consortium known as Pacific NorthWest. The idea was to export 3.2bn cubic feet of gas per day—or a fifth of Canada's daily output—from the British Columbia coast to energy-hungry markets in Asia.
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
