Released on March 22, 2012
Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd departs Friday for a one-week energy and mineral investment mission to Japan.
Boyd and a small delegation will be in Tokyo and Nagasaki from March 24 to April 1 to meet with companies currently doing business in Saskatchewan as well as with companies looking for resource investment opportunities. The minister will promote the province's rich potash and uranium resources in his meetings, along with investment opportunities in oil and gas, rare earth elements and other minerals.
The minister will also deliver a keynote address on Saskatchewan energy opportunities to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan and later participate in ceremonies to name and launch a new ship in Canpotex's fleet of potash tankers.
"Saskatchewan has a decades-old trading relationship with Japan, and its companies are involved in major manufacturing and mineral exploration projects in our province," Boyd said. "Missions such as this one build on that relationship, delivering our ‘real growth, real opportunity' message to the international investment community."
Companies the minister will meet with include Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Idemitsu, Sojitz, Zen-Noh and the Overseas Uranium Resources Development Co. Ltd. (OURD). Boyd will also meet with the Japan Coal Energy Center (JCOAL), with whom Saskatchewan signed a research agreement last year on technologies respecting clean coal and carbon capture and storage.
Japan is Saskatchewan's third largest export market, accounting for more than $1 billion in value of sales last year. Those exports include wheat, canola, potash and uranium.
Boyd will be accompanied on the mission by three officials from the Ministry of Energy and Resources and Enterprise Saskatchewan. Executives from PotashCorp, Canpotex and Cameco will join the delegation for portions of the mission.
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For more information, contact:
Bob Ellis
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca