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.

Canadian Oil Sands Trust (Largest member of Syncrude Consortium) Q2 earnings plummet 91%

Canadian Oil Sands Trust Q2 earnings plummet 91%
Carrie Tait, Financial Post
Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Making sense of the disconnect in oil prices

Making sense of the disconnect in oil prices
By Deborah Yedlin, Calgary Herald
August 13, 2009

Oil prices edged over the $70 US per barrel mark again this week, staying at a level where they have spent most of August's trading days. But the relative strength being shown by oil prices is continuing to confound most observers.

Canada's oil patch open for Chinese business: Flaherty

Canada's oil patch open for Chinese business: Flaherty
By Jorge Barrera, the Financial Post
August 10, 2009

Jim Flaherty, Canada's finance minister, speaks at the opening of a Bank of Montreal branch in Beijing, China, on Monday. Canada wants Chinese state-run entities such as China Investment Corp. to consider North American listings.

Skidding oil sends Suncor into red

Skidding oil sends Suncor into red
Investors stay focused on $22.5-billion Petro-Canada takeover
Edmonton Journal
July 23, 2009

Suncor Energy sank into the red in the second quarter as skidding oil prices, hedging losses and costs related to project deferrals marred the last reporting period before it closes its $22.5-billion takeover of Petro-Canada.

CEO Rick George said his company will move ahead with major investments after the takeover, and jettison assets by focusing on projects that offer the lowest risk, highest returns and near-term cash flow.

Suncor’s Edmonton refinery suffers processing problem

Suncor’s Edmonton refinery suffers processing problem
David Finlayson, edmontonjournal.com
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Black smoke emitted from the Suncor refinery east of Edmonton on August 12, 2009.

EDMONTON - It will take “days not hours” to get Suncor’s Edmonton refinery back to full production after a problem at its hydrogen supplier caused the shutdown of some units for the second time in a month, the company said Thursday.

New pipeline from tar sands

New pipeline from oilsands
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
11th August 2009

CALGARY -- Inter Pipeline Fund says major construction work has wrapped up on a $1.8-billion expansion to a pipeline that links a major oilsands mine near Fort McMurray to the Edmonton area.

The Calgary-based energy transporter said yesterday it has finished installing 467 km of 42-in. diameter pipeline and 43 km of 20-in. diameter pipeline as part of the Corridor expansion and is $100 million under budget, having "materially eliminated its exposure to cost overrun risk."

Suncor Energy Reports Production Numbers for July 2009

Suncor Energy Reports Oil Sands Production Numbers for July 2009
Market Wire

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Aug. 6, 2009) - Suncor Energy Inc. reported today that production at its oil sands facility during July averaged approximately 304,000 barrels per day (bpd). Year-to-date oil sands production at the end of July averaged approximately 292,000 bpd. Suncor is targeting average oil sands production of 300,000 bpd (+5%/-10%) in 2009.

Alarm bells ring over acid rain in Northern Saskatchewan

Alarm bells ring over acid rain
ANGELA HILL
The Prince Albert Daily Herald

The delicate ecosystems of the northern boreal forests are at risk of lasting damage due to acid rain from oilsands development, according to information compiled by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society.

The oil patch's latest boom: Substance abuse

The oil patch's latest boom: Substance abuse
Carrie Tait, Financial Post
August 11, 2009

Buses carry oil workers to their jobs in Fort McMurray Alta. Alcohol abuse proved to be one of the most "chronic" challenges in the oil industry's labour force, according to a recent report. Brent Foster/National Post Staff Buses carry oil workers to their jobs in Fort McMurray Alta. Alcohol abuse proved to be one of the most "chronic" challenges in the oil industry's labour force, according to a recent report.

Northeasterners forced to give up oil heat?

Thousands of homes might have to replace oil furnaces with wood-burning heaters
Northeasterners forced to give up oil heat?

By Steve Milloy Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Northeastern governors may ban home furnaces that burn oil in order to meet greenhouse gas emission limits.

The governors are expected to approve “a blueprint for slashing carbon dioxide from cars — and perhaps home furnaces — by January,” reports ClimateWire.