Saint John LNG - Tanks, Tanks, and more Tanks

Well, this week has brought the big news that Irving Oil and Repsol plan to build a third LNG tank at Canaport here in Saint John. But that’s not all. The bigger news is that they are way ahead of schedule for building this third tank. This is because the two tanks in progress are expected to be finished in mid-2008.

I am still pissed about the LNG tax deal; however, I am supportive of this LNG project. It’s now employing hundreds of construction workers from the area for another year! Iving Oil says that there are more than 500 workers are on-site every day. About 95 per cent of them come from the Greater Saint John area and New Brunswick, officials have said.

Another cool fact is how fast the tanks are being build. The second tank was built in record time, noted Pat Darrah, executive director of the Saint John Construction Association. It took only 15 days once the substructure work was done. The world record had been 17 days, he said. “We’ve got the best per capita trained workforce in the country,” contends Darrah. They’re also contributing to the economy, each earning an average of $1,000 to $1,500 a week, he said. “The whole spinoff of 500 people working, making that kind of money, think about it; it’s just, whew!”

Mayor Norm McFarlane agrees. They’ll be shopping in stores, eating in restaurants, and buying homes, the mayor said. And having them here makes it easier for the city to attract new retail projects, such as the free-standing Starbucks retail outlet announced Thursday, he said.

Another good thing is what the city gets for the permit on the third tank - $100,000! Hopefully, these workers will gain new skills that will allow them to find work more easily. Irving Oil hopes to build a second refinery in the city, which would employee these workers well into the future. It’s just another sign that the city is really starting to pick up and move!