Canada wants to expand its LNG business. Critics raise red flags

Murky historySeveral of the companies involved in the two projects, either directly or through financing agreements, have murky histories and troubling portfolios. Domestic costs also include accusations of environmental pollution and potential human rights violations.Since commissioning began in early 2025, a technical problem at the newly built LNG Canada facility led to the plant burning off more than 350 million cubic metres of gas that year, putting it among the world’s highest sources of flaring emissions.The local community was unaware of the scale or nature of the issue until reporting by the Canadian environmental news outlet The Narwhal revealed the plant had started operations despite identifying an “integrity issue” with its equipment.LNG Canada is owned by a consortium of five foreign companies: Shell, Petronas, Korea Gas, PetroChina and Mitsubishi. Shell is the majority shareholder.Like TotalEnergies, Shell signed a deal to purchase two million tonnes of LNG from Ksi Lisims in 2024. The corporation recently bought Arc Resources, a Canadian oil and gas company with assets in northeast British Columbia and Alberta.Shell’s oil and gas operations in Nigeria are among its ...