Secretary Pablos Leads Texas Energy Mission To Canada

CALGARY – Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos led a Texas energy mission to Canada this week, meeting with public officials and private sector leaders in Alberta in order to strengthen partnerships between Texas and Canada. Secretary Pablos was joined on the mission by John Cypher, Americas Director of the Greater Houston Partnership, and Henry Wells, Senior Political and Economic Relations Officer at the Consulate General of Canada in Dallas. Secretary Pablos began the mission by ringing the opening bell for the Toronto Stock Exchange at the 2017 Global Petroleum Show before participating in a panel discussion on the future of global energy with Canada's Minister of International Trade, François-Philippe Champagne. During the discussion, Secretary Pablos spoke to the diversity of Texas' energy profile and the strength of the Lone Star State's energy infrastructure.
 
"Texas is a global player in the energy arena, and what happens within the Texas energy industry has repercussions all over the world," Secretary Pablos said during the panel discussion. "We have developed a great infrastructure across our state, from the Permian Basin to Houston, but we don't take that lightly and we certainly don't take it for granted. We continue to create a platform that works to attract investment, innovation, and talent to spur more research and development within the energy industry."

Following the panel discussion, Secretary Pablos met with executives from Suncor, Canada's leading integrated energy company and a major oil sands producer, InnoTech Alberta, an industry leader in oil and gas recovery technology, and TransCanada, owner of the Keystone XL pipeline that connects Alberta to Houston. Secretary Pablos also met with Deron Bilous, Alberta's Minister of Economic Development and Trade, and Margaret McCuaig-Boyd, Alberta's Minister of Energy, to discuss future cooperation between Texas and the province of Alberta. Secretary Pablos concluded the mission by touring the floor of the Global Petroleum Show with U.S. Consul General in Calgary Tom Palaia and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa Elizabeth Moore Aubin.
 
"Texas and Alberta have a unique cultural and economic kinship, and this week we discovered not only our many commonalities, but also areas where we can become even stronger partners," Secretary Pablos said following the mission. "This week helped us identify exciting opportunities for future cooperation in energy production and technological development, and we look forward to fortifying Texas' relationships with Alberta and Canada. I would like to thank the Greater Houston Partnership for participating in this week's mission and the Consulate General of Canada in Dallas for facilitating our successful visit to Calgary." 
 
"Canada's energy sector partnership with Texas is a great example of how trade builds well-paying jobs on both sides of the border, and I'm looking forward to working with Secretary Pablos and the Texas team on helping to grow these opportunities even further," Sara Wilshaw, Consul General of Canada, said.

Texas-Canada Trade Facts:

• Canada is the third largest foreign direct investor in Texas, with more than $2.7 billion in capital investment creating more than 9,200 jobs over the last five years
• Canada is Texas' second largest export destination, with more than $19 billion in exports in 2016
• Canadian companies employ more than 45,000 Texans

Learn more about the 2017 Global Petroleum Show.

Learn more about the Greater Houston Partnership.

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