The Exploits Valley Port Corporation wants to get into the oil and gas business.
Or rather, the corporation wants to return to the oil and gas business as it served as a shipping port in the 1970s for industry giants like Chevron.
The corporation hopes to capitalize on what could be a boom in the industry in the near future.
“We’re trying to attract the oil companies as an offshore base moving forward,” Exploits Valley Port Corporation chairman Scott Sceviour told The Central Voice.
With that in mind, the port corporation has organized an oil and gas seminar for Oct. 24.
The seminar, co-sponsored by the Exploits Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Botwood, comes at the recommendation of Rob Strong and Associates. The company was hired to help with strategic planning around offshore oil and gas opportunities.
They’re calling it an introduction to oil and gas potential and have invited members of the Exploits Valley business community to take part.
“There are opportunities in the business community,” said Sceviour. “If we’re successful, we’ll need partners moving forward. By partners, I mean that we’re going to be looking for services.”
Sceviour, who also serves as the town’s mayor, recognizes it may be two or three years before an industry boom but they want to make sure they’re ready.
Earlier this year, the port authority and the town hired TRACT Consulting to develop a strategic plan for the town’s marina.
The mayor says the port in Botwood is ideal for offshore shipping when land tenures go on the block in 2020 and 2021.
It is a deep, sheltered port and experiences little ice, he points out.
“We need to do something,” said Sceviour. “We’re putting the focus on our strong points.”
He added there is sure to be economic spinoff for much of the region.
“We believe it is good for everyone in the region,” said Sceviour. “We’re playing really hard and we really want something to come to light.”
