Energy Department Official Visits Canada

Acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Jeffrey Kupfer was in Canada, Tuesday, starting a trip aimed at highlighting U.S.-Canadian energy cooperation.

Energy Department officials said Canada is a critical energy ally, supplying the United States with more oil, natural gas, uranium and electricity than any other nation in the world.

“The U.S. and Canada have historically shared a very strong and unique relationship, and Â… it is very clear that energy diversity — of supplies, suppliers and supply routes — is absolutely essential to enhancing global energy security, and will require substantial long-term commitments from all nations of the world,” said Kupfer

During his trip, Kupfer is to meet with Gaetan Caron, chairman of Canada’s National Energy Board to discuss cross-border infrastructure projects. He was also scheduled tour the Syncrude oil sands project in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The Energy Department said Canada’s oil sands play a key role in North American energy security. Of Canada’s 179 billion barrels of oil reserves, 173 billion barrels are in oil sands reserves, making Canada second only to Saudi Arabia in global oil reserves, the Department of Energy said.