Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Imperial Oil's plan to lay off roughly 20 per cent of its workforce by 2027 is "very disappointing," laying the blame on Ottawa and reinforcing the need to build pipelines.

"The industry for the last 10 years has been hampered and hobbled by federal government decisions," Smith said Tuesday.

"If we can realize the aspiration of building our pipelines north, south, east and west, doubling our production, then there's a lot of opportunity for people to be able to get reemployed in this sector."

Calgary-based Imperial said Monday the cuts are part of a broader restructuring plan and would save the company about $150 million annually.

Approximately 900 jobs, most of which are in Calgary, will be lost. WATCH | Analyst says it's been a 'painful

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