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.
Can oil deal prompt return to The Rock?
Nathan VanderKlippe and Shawn McCarthy
Calgary, Ottawa — Globe and Mail
Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2009
Is the smell of the sea sweeter than the scent of Alberta crude?
Danny Williams thinks so. The Newfoundland and Labrador Premier trumpeted a major deal yesterday to expand the Hibernia offshore oil platform as another leap forward by a province that has already lured home thousands of workers.
Cree lawsuit would drain energy royalties
Native band says 15,000 oilsands developments planned on ancestral land
By Elise Stolte, Edmonton Journal
June 12, 2009
The amount Alberta owes First Nations affected by oilsands development could
easily outstrip all the royalties the province has earned off the resource
if courts rule in favour of native bands, said a lawyer for the Beaver Lake
Cree Nation on Thursday.
"We're all expecting an onslaught (of lawsuits) in the next little while,"
said Drew Mildon of Woodwards and Company. "People are reaching their limit
of patience."
Alberta tar sands, nuclear power proposals connected, says Calgary-based journalist
DAMIEN WOOD - Herald-Tribune staff
June 16, 2009
The issues surrounding oil production from the tar sands and nuclear power plants being proposed in Alberta are integrally woven together, says journalist Andrew Nikiforuk.
The Calgary-based business journalist was in Grande Prairie Thursday to give a presentation at the Golden Age Centre based on his latest book, Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of the Continent.
Bin explodes near site of previous B.C. pipeline explosions
Explosion near the site of 4 previous still under investigation
Canwest News Service
June 12, 2009
Police probe the site of an earlier explosion targeting a sour-gas well in the B.C. Interior. RCMP confirmed Friday they are investigating an explosion in a large bear-proof garbage bin near Dawson Creek sometime overnight.
Oil and Indians Don't Mix
by Greg Palast
Friday, June 12, 2009
For Air America Radio's Ring of Fire
There's an easy way to find oil. Go to some remote and gorgeous natural sanctuary, say Alaska or the Amazon, find some Indians, then drill down under them.
If the indigenous folk complain, well, just shoo-them away. Shoo-ing methods include: bulldozers, bullets, crooked politicians and fake land sales.
FRIDAY 12 JUNE 2009
It's Official - The Era of Cheap Oil Is Over: Energy Department Changes Tune on Peak Oil
by: Michael T. Klare | Visit article original @ TomDispatch.com
Suncor, Petro-Canada merger approved
June 5, 2009
CAROL CHRISTIAN
Fort McMurray Today staff
Suncor Energy and Petro-Canada shareholders gave overwhelming support yesterday for the proposed merger of the two companies to become Canada's largest energy company in a deal worth $22.2 billion.
Petro-Canada shareholders were the first to approve the deal at more than 96% in favour. At a later meeting, Suncor shareholders vote 98% in favour of the merger. After the vote John Ferguson, chairman of the board, said it was a historic day for the two companies and a great day for Canada.
Alberta hopes to reap benefits as world focuses on Suncor-Petrocan
By Carrie Tait, Financial Post
May 30, 2009
Canadian energy group cuts output forecast again
Fri Jun 5, 2009 2:37pm EDT
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada's main energy producers group has cut its forecast for oil sands production for the third time in a year, blaming project deferrals and cancellations due to weak oil prices and tight credit markets.
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said it expects oil sands production by 2015 of as much as 2.2 million barrels a day, and as little as 1.9 million if only those projects that are now in operation or under construction go ahead.
Suncor's boldest move yet
Claudia Cattaneo, Calgary Bureau Chief, Financial Post
Friday, May 29, 2009
Taking quantum leaps has been the hallmark of Suncor Energy Inc. under the leadership of Richard George.
But Suncor's boldest move yet -- the $19.2-billion takeover of Petro-Canada -- may be approved next week, when shareholders vote on Mr. George's plan to form one of Canada's largest companies and the dominant player in the oil business.
