The province’s Energy Minister is firing back against the PCs after they raised questions about the refit of the SeaRose FPSO.
The SeaRose is bound for Northern Ireland for significant repairs.
PC MHA Lloyd Parrott is questioning why at least some of the work isn’t being done in this province.
Today, Lloyd Parrott, PC Shadow Minister for IET, and MHA for Terra Nova is ringing the alarm bells about the lack of commitment from the Furey Liberals towards our offshore as the SeaRose FPSO heads to Ireland.https://t.co/YRYqSvwVVg@lloyd_parrott #nlpoli pic.twitter.com/lPVJM7YzN3
— PC Party of NL (@PCPartyNL) January 8, 2024
He questions whether any tenders were called for parts of the work to be completed locally. Andrew Parsons explains that an expression of interest for the work was issued in 2022, but there were no bids from within Canada.
He states that there is no facility capable of undertaking the work in Canada and describes Parrott’s concerns as “a bit flimsy.”
Andrew Parsons Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology
Earlier Story
Opposition energy critic Lloyd Parrott is sounding the alarm as the SeaRose FPSO heads to Northern Ireland for a major refit.
Parrott says it’s part of a pattern of lucrative work opportunities going out-of-province, citing the recent $500 million refit of the Terra Nova FPSO in Spain and now the estimated $100 million in work heading to Ireland to extend the life of the SeaRose.
Parrot wants to know whether any tenders were called for any part of the work to be done in this province.
Lloyd Parrott Terra Nova
He understands that some of the work would have to be done elsewhere, but he questions whether any attempt was made to keep some of the work here.
He acknowledges work on the hull “probably can’t be done here” because we don’t have a facility to take the SeaRose out of the water, but he says “we could have a facility to do that, Argentia could have been capable of doing that if the Liberals didn’t sell out on it, and Bull Arm can still be capable of doing that at some point.”
He says NL workers and local facilities should be first in line for work in the offshore.
