Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Alberta (& Saskatchewan) Tar Sands

The process of removing the tar from the sand involves incredible amounts of energy from clean-burning natural gas (with nuclear proposed along side), tremendous capital costs during build up, incredibly high petroleum prices to protect investments, and the largest single industrial contribution to climate change in North America. Production also involves the waste of fresh water from nearby lakes, rivers and aquifers that have already created toxic tailing ponds visible from outer space. None of the land strip mined has yet to be certified as reclaimed. It takes 4 tonnes of soil to produce one barrel of oil. The tar sands are producing over 1.2 million barrels of oil a day on average. The oil companies, Canada and the United States governments are proposing to escalate production to 5 million barrels, almost all destined for American markets-- and lower environmental standards while doing so. They also would need to violate the national and human rights of many indigenous nations who are rightly concerned about many dire social, environmental and economic repercussions on their communities.

To get the needed energy supplies, diluent for the bitumen and diverted freshwater to produce and then to transport the flowing heavy bitumen for refining would require massive new infrastructure and pipeline building from three different time zones in the Arctic, across British Columbia and through Alberta in a criss-cross pattern, into pipelines to such destinations as California, China, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. This entire project is now estimated at over $170 billion dollars. And after the whole process described so far, only then will all this dirty petroleum get burned and expel greenhouse gasses into the air causing further climate change.

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Alberta Tar Sands is a category limited to the location and production of tar sand bitumen, an area the size of the state of Florida in northern Alberta province. The giant processing plants near Fort McMurray where the land itself is strip mined as well as the primarily "in situ" in-ground steam separation/production and extraction plants in the Peace and Cold Lake Regions, all in Alberta, are the "Ground Zero" of the single largest industrial gigaproject ever proposed in human history. The process of removing the tar from the sand involves incredible amounts of energy from clean-burning natural gas (with nuclear proposed along side), tremendous capital costs during build up, incredibly high petroleum prices to protect investments, and the largest single industrial contribution to climate change in North America. Production also involves the waste of fresh water from nearby lakes, rivers and aquifers that have already created toxic tailing ponds visible from outer space. None of the land strip mined has yet to be certified as reclaimed. It takes 4 tonnes of soil to produce one barrel of oil. The tar sands are producing over 1.2 million barrels of oil a day on average. The oil companies, Canada and the United States governments are proposing to escalate production to 5 million barrels, almost all destined for American markets-- and lower environmental standards while doing so. They also would need to violate the national and human rights of many indigenous nations who are rightly concerned about many dire social, environmental and economic repercussions on their communities. To get the needed energy supplies, diluent for the bitumen and diverted freshwater to produce and then to transport the flowing heavy bitumen for refining would require massive new infrastructure and pipeline building from three different time zones in the Arctic, across British Columbia and through Alberta in a criss-cross pattern, into pipelines to such destinations as California, China, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. This entire project is now estimated at over $170 billion dollars. And after the whole process described so far, only then will all this dirty petroleum get burned and expel greenhouse gasses into the air causing further climate change.

US Refineries to Double Tar Sands intake by 2015: CAPP

As the first new refinery in the US for 30 years was announced recently, it is worthy to note the number of new ones that are planned for the future increase in tar sands production. They are needed, since the US sees the tarsands as "domestic" production.

--M

US refinery demand for Canadian crude to double by 2015: CAPP

BY JUDY MONCHUK, CP

CALGARY (CP) _ U.S. refinery demand for western Canadian crude oil is projected to almost double by 2015, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says in its annual outlook.

Fort MacKay to start Commerical Operation of Tar Sands Mining

As always, when it comes to writing these press releases the official Indian Act government of the population is considered and treated as the only voice that the nation should have. There are serious heath concerns, random violence and the worst environmental nightmare imaginable on this territory (misspelled in the article below) of Fort MacKay.

Reaganites come to Tar Sands' Defense

The American Conservative movement has started to embrace and defend the tar sands. Delightful to see, considering article like the one below are always a reflection of effectiveness, even if they portend to belittle the very effectiveness we are starting to have.

--M

Tar sands: More oil than Saudi Arabia
Posted: June 16, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56206

Keystone Pipeline Bad For Canada, Lawyer Says

Keystone Pipeline Bad For Canada, Lawyer Says
Jun, 21 2007 - 2:30 PM
http://www.770chqr.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428436912&rem=68315&red=...

CALGARY/AM770CHQR - The lawyer representing Canada's largest energy workers union has told Calgary hearings on a massive pipeline project, it's a bad deal for Canada and Canadians.

The Keystone Pipeline would export half a million barrells per day of raw bitumen from the Alberta oilsands to the U.S.

South Dakota: Keystone Pipeline Hearings Begin Monday

Keystone Pipeline Hearings Begin Monday
http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,58147
06/22/2007

Plans to build a 220 mile underground oil pipeline in eastern South Dakota have unearthed plenty of questions from landowners affected by the project. They'll have a chance to get some answers during a series of public meetings next week.

Globe and Mail Blogger on China in the Tar Sands

Chinese dragons sniff around the oilpatch
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070621.WBwenergyblo...
Norval Scott, 21/06/07 at 1:21 PM EDT
Blog from Globe and Mail Report on Business

Inside Energy is on the road, finding out what there is to see and do in Edmonton at the 3rd Canada-China Economic Co-operation conference, which is being billed this time around as "Energy and beyond."

Chinese National Petroleum Corp. Admits to Owning leases in Tar Sands

China leases a bit of Alberta's oil patch
State-owned CNPC buys rights to develop oil sands properties

NORVAL SCOTT
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070622.RCNPC22/TPStor...
June 22, 2007

EDMONTON -- In a possible first step toward becoming a producer of Canadian crude, the Chinese National Petroleum Corp., China's largest oil company, revealed yesterday that it has acquired some land in Alberta, with the intention to eventually develop an oil sands project if possible.

Qatar/ Gulf Times on the Tar Sands going International

Canada oil sands lure global majors
Published: Thursday, 21 June, 2007, 01:45 AM Doha Time
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=156432...

FORT MCMURRAY, Canada: With world oil prices hovering at near nine-month highs and global energy firms flush with cash, analysts are predicting that control of Canada’s booming oil sands sector could soon fall into foreign hands.
Foreign bids worth tens of billions dollars are expected in the coming years as global oil companies look for new opportunities, say analysts.

Woodland Cree Challenges Shell Tar Sands Expansion--Seeks to Prevent Another Ft. McMurray Disaster

Woodland Cree First Nation
Jun 22, 2007
http://www.marketwire.com/2.0/release.do?id=745361

Woodland Cree First Nation Challenges Shell Oil Sands Expansion-Seeks to Prevent Another Ft. McMurray Disaster

PEACE RIVER, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - June 22, 2007) - On June 25, 2007, the Woodland Cree First Nation ("WCFN") will file an intervention with the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board ("EUB") with regard to Shell Canada's Carmon Creek Oil Sands project located near Peace River, Alberta.

Texas firm plans America's first new oil refinery in over 30 years

The Associated Press State & Local Wire
June 14, 2007 Thursday 5:26 PM GMT
SECTION: BUSINESS NEWS
Texas firm plans nation's first new oil refinery in over 30 years
By DIRK LAMMERS, Associated Press Writer

ELK POINT S.D.

Thousands of acres of farmland in the southeastern tip of South Dakota could become
home to the nation's first new oil refinery since 1976.

Hyperion Resources Inc., a privately held Dallas-based energy company, is
considering Elk Point and several other Midwest sites for the $8 billion refinery,