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To the surprise of many, British Columbia NDP Premier John Horgan could emerge as the saviour of Western Canada’s troubled liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry.

Horgan is leaving Saturday for a 10-day mission to Asia and will have meetings in China, Korea and Japan with backers of two proposed LNG projects: LNG Canada, sited in Kitimat and led by Royal Dutch Shell PLC with partners PetroChina, Korea Gas Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. of Japan; and Woodfibre LNG, located north of Vancouver in Squamish, and owned by the RGE group of companies based in Singapore.

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Meanwhile, Kitimat LNG, a joint venture between Chevron Corp. and Australia’s Woodside Petroleum Ltd., is re-emerging as a player with Horgan’s support and is working to improve the competitiveness of its proposed plant.

I think we have a real opportunity of perhaps landing one or two LNG facilities here in British Columbia John Horgan

The three projects are viewed as front-runners to build on the B.C. coast after years of market, regulatory and political setbacks that led to the cancellation of two major projects and the retreat of many others.

Hurdles remain, but improved LNG prices, rising global demand and First Nations’ support seem to be fuelling Horgan’s interest after criticizing the LNG industry during the provincial election campaign last year.

“I think we have a real opportunity of perhaps landing one or two LNG facilities here in British Columbia,” Horgan told Stewart Muir, executive director of Resource Works Society, in an interview at a natural resources conference in Prince George earlier this week. “That is exciting, and we are going to be talking about that in China, Korea and Japan.”

Photo by Ben Nelms/Bloomberg

Horgan, in an interview with Alaska Highway News in December, said he wants B.C.’s natural gas to get higher prices through LNG exports.

“The advent of hydraulic fracturing has meant North America is awash in gas and that’s driving the price down, making it difficult for producers in the Peace to succeed,” he said. “I think there’s a bright future for natural gas in the Peace and in British Columbia, but we want to make sure we’re meeting our climate objectives. We’re serious about reducing our emissions, I know the industry is as well.”