Canada's uncivil war
A big win for populist conservatives in Canada’s oil heartland threaten national energy and environmental policies
People in Canada's oil-producing province of Alberta are mad as hell—at most of the rest of the country—and they aren't going to take it anymore. That is the message premier-elect Jason Kenney is sending to all comers after securing a convincing win in the province's general elections. Kenney, a firebrand Conservative populist, took 63 of 87 seats to secure a commanding majority in the provincial legislature. Given that Alberta is North America's second largest oil producing region at some 3.5m/bl- making Canada the world's fourth or fifth-largest oil producer after the US, Russia and Saudi Arabia and, dependent on sanctions, Iran-the vote has national as well as international repercussions.
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
