B.C. lobbying for offshore drilling, again

B.C. Energy minister Richard Neufeld says he's frustrated with the federal government's continued reluctance to lift the moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling off the West Coast.

And the minister says he's preparing to go to Ottawa, to again make his arguments in favour of offshore exploration.

• LINK: B.C. Offshore Oil and Gas Team

There have been signs that the federal government has cooled towards the idea of drilling in the Pacific.

Last fall, a federal review panel said three-quarters of the submissions it received opposed offshore drilling.

• FROM NOV. 19, 2004: Strong support for offshore drilling moratorium

But Neufeld told an oil and gas summit in Victoria on Tuesday that the federal government is encouraging drilling off the east coast – but not the west. And he says that's not fair.

"While they're saying no to us about lifting our moratorium, they're reducing taxes for those companies that are drilling on the east coast of Canada," says the minister. "That's not acceptable."

The president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Pierre Alvarez, says he too has trouble understanding the why the federal government won't lift the B.C. moratorium.

"Until that decision is made, there's not much the oil and gas industry can do. There's lots of other places to invest," he says.

But there are signs of political activity. Ten days ago the federal government signed an agreement with B.C. and Newfoundland to limit the impact of seismic exploration.

• LINK: David Suzuki Foundation background on coastal oil and gas

The B.C. Liberal government has said it wants an offshore oil and gas industry in operation by 2010.