FEATURE INTERVIEW: The Fuel Canada Forgets

Chris Prokop knows propane still makes many Canadians think of barbecue tanks and camping stoves.

He hears it at home, too.

His children joke that their father, an AltaGas executive, sells the small bottles that power Coleman stoves. But for Prokop, that familiar image hides a much larger story.

“Propane, like anything, is energy. And it’s important for people to be able to live their lives, cook their food, power vehicles, et cetera,”

Prokop is senior vice-president of export development and external affairs at AltaGas. Speaking with Stewart Muir on Power Struggle at the Global Energy Show in Calgary, he argued that Canada has underestimated one of its most practical export advantages.

Propane and butane, known together as liquefied petroleum gases, or LPG, are not niche products in much of the world. They are basic fuels for cooking, heating, transportation, petrochemicals and industry.

“It’s a small part of the energy mix here in Canada, but it’s a massive part of the energy mix internationally.”

That difference explains why AltaGas is building a major export platform on Ridley Island near Prince Rupert, B.C. It also explains why Asian buyers are looking more closely at Canada.

A West Coast advantage

AltaGas started its Prince Rupert export story with a simple observation. Asian countries needed LPG. Western Canada had supply. The missing piece was a way to move it across the Pacific.

The company’s first Ridley Island propane export terminal can move about 80,000 barrels a day. Prokop said that equals roughly 48 to 54 ships a year bound for Japan, South Korea and China.

Now AltaGas is building REEF, the Ridley Island Energy Export Facility, to add more export capacity on the West Coast.

The first phase of REEF will add about 56,000 barrels a day. Prokop said AltaGas is also building an Optimization 1 project, known as Opti 1, which would add another 25,000 barrels a day. The company is also studying a further optimization if supply supports it.

The appeal is geography. Aship can reach South Korea from Prince Rupert in about 10 days. From Houston, he said, it can take about 28 days. From the Middle East, it can take about 35 days.That shorter route cuts freight costs, reduces time at sea and gives buyers a secure source across the Pacific.

For Japan, South Korea and China, the case has been clear for years. India is now paying closer attention, especially as global disruptions sharpen concerns over energy security.

The scale of demand can be hard for Canadians to grasp. India alone could absorb far more LPG than Canada currently exports.

The Montney connection

The AltaGas story begins far from tidewater.

Prokop pointed to the Montney formation in northeastern B.C. as a crucial source of the supply chain. The Montney is valuable because much of its natural gas is liquids-rich.

Natural gas from such formations can be processed into dry gas and natural gas liquids. Those liquids can then be separated into propane, butane and condensate.

Condensate often moves to the oilsands. Propane and butane can move by rail to the coast. From there, AltaGas loads them onto very large gas carriers for export.

This is why Prokop sees LNG development as directly linked to AltaGas growth.

“The more LNG that’s shipped leads to more gas production, which leads to more supply for our customers,”

More LNG projects mean more drilling. More drilling means more liquids. More liquids create the case for more export infrastructure.

That matters for producers, too. LPG was often treated as a lower-value by-product before West Coast export access improved. It could be sold into the U.S., blended back into systems or used less efficiently.

Asian markets can offer stronger returns. That price difference sends more value back to Canadian producers and the wider economy.

Energy security with a human face

Prokop’s argument is not only commercial.

He framed LPG as a practical tool for improving daily life in countries where many families still cook with wood, coal or dung. In those homes, smoke can create serious health risks and consume hours of labour.

Canadian propane, he said, can change that.

“If you could have a canister of propane or butane delivered to your home that you can connect to a small stove, turn it on and immediately have heat to cook. Time-saving, health-saving, et cetera,”

That point is central to his view of Canada’s role.

Energy, is not an abstract commodity. It is the ability to cook quickly, heat a home, power a vehicle or run a business. Canadians often take that access for granted because the system is already built around them.

Many countries are still building that system.

For Canada, the opportunity is to become a trusted energy partner. That means supplying allies and trading partners with products they need, from a stable democracy with strong environmental and operating standards.

Prokopbelieves that story has become more urgent as buyers seek supply outside traditional routes.

The window Canada must use

Prokop is optimistic, saying he’s “bullish on Canada,”, however, he also sees a risk.

He believes governments have started to understand the importance of energy exports, pointing to renewed discussions about streamlining approvals and moving projects faster.

Still, he warned that Canada can lose ground by chasing perfect processes instead of workable ones.

His main ask is for meaningful changes to permitting and regulation. Companies need to know that, within clear boundaries, they can spend risk capital and build.

The demand, he said, is not the problem.

“The window of demand is not going to close. It’s just going to keep going up,”.

But Canada must still earn its way into that future. That means stronger policy, faster decisions and better project design. It also means early work with communities and First Nations.

Prokop says AltaGas has avoided many of the conflicts that slow major projects because it treats stakeholder engagement as central to infrastructure.

“You never want to put yourself in a situation where the first time you meet someone, you’re asking them for something,”

That approach is not separate from building. It is part of building.

Canada already has the resource, geography and expertise. The question is whether it can move with enough confidence.

If it can, propane may no longer be seen as just a backyard fuel. It may become one of the clearest examples of how Canadian energy reaches the world.

Watch the video on Power Struggle

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Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].

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