|
CURRENT ISSUE VOLUME 19 NO. 4 JULY/AUGUST 2008
 Deal of the Decade?
Hebron is back on, Newfoundland and Labrador industry is ecstatic, and Premier Danny Williams looks like a hero. So why the long face?
By Alec Bruce
For such electrifying news, the official announcement that Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams had finally nailed down an agreement with industry partners to develop the Hebron-Ben Nevis oil field—all but guaranteeing billions of dollars in new revenues for the province's coffers and private enterprise—was a decidedly subdued affair. In fact, Williams seemed tense, even stern at the August 22 news conference in St. John's. His Minister of Natural Resources, Kathy Dunderdale, sat dutifully by his side, but oil company representatives were conspicuously absent, as were many familiar faces from the offshore development sector.
All of which led some to wonder whether there was more here than met the eye. Was Williams secretly disappointed with the outcome, or merely, and understandably, exhausted after days of round-the-clock negotiations? Were his industry partners caught off guard, even annoyed, by the decision to go public, or were they just unprepared to meet the press so soon after reaching a consensus? For his part, the Premier stayed on message, and the message was indisputably good.
The above excerpt was taken from the most recent issue of Atlantic Business Magazine. Our complete editorial content is available in print form only. To receive a free subscription to Atlantic Business Magazine,
click HERE.
|
