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.

Carbon capture and storage 'being oversold as a panacea'

The Hill Times, April 13, 2009
Carbon capture and storage 'being oversold as a panacea'
But critics and experts say there are geological risks, it's a waste of taxpayers' money and the 'economics are deadly.'

By Bea Vongdouangchanh

China buys more of tar sands; Now owns 50% of proposed mine

China buys more of oil sands; Now owns 50% of proposed mine
By Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post
April 2, 2009

The purchase of an additional 10% interest in the proposed Northern Lights oil sands project Wednesday by China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) points to a renewal of interest by the Chinese in Canada's oil, said a University of Alberta expert.

If Suncor sells foreign assets, will China buy?

If Suncor sells foreign assets, will China buy?
DAVID EBNER
April 8, 2009

Suncor Energy Inc. SU-T will likely create a "fortress North America" if it completes its $19-billion merger with Petro-Canada, jettisoning international assets to hungry buyers such as China as it focuses on the oil sands, natural gas and East Coast offshore oil.

Shell affirms "too uncertain" outlook for oil industry

Shell affirms "too uncertain" outlook for oil industry
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

* Links Niger delta crisis, falling oil prices to low output
By Taiwo Hassan, with Agency Reports

CITING falling oil prices and crisis in Nigeria's Niger delta region, Anglo Dutch oil giant, Shell, has conceded that the industry's outlook has become "too uncertain" for long term projections.

CN plans 'pipeline on rail' to tar sands

CN plans 'pipeline on rail' to oil sands

Diane Francis, Financial Post
Wednesday, April 08, 2009

CN could gear up its capacity to ship by rail up to four million barrels a day of oil at less cost and more quickly, bypassing the need to finance huge pipelines.Courtesy of CNCN could gear up its capacity to ship by rail up to four million barrels a day of oil at less cost and more quickly, bypassing the need to finance huge pipelines.

Former tar sands exec named head of climate working group

Former oilsands exec named head of climate working group

By Glen McGregor , The Ottawa Citizen
April 7, 2009

OTTAWA — The Harper government has named a former oil and gas industry executive who led a company active in the Alberta oilsands as a representative on a U.S.-Canada working group on clean energy.

Charlie Fischer, who until recently served as president and chief executive officer of Calgary-based Nexen Inc., will head up one of three working groups with American counterparts as part of the Clean Energy Dialogue, Environment Minister Jim Prentice has confirmed.

Total: May Delay Joslyn Mine Project Decision To Cut Costs

Total: May Delay Joslyn Oil Sands Proj Decision To Cut Costs
* APRIL 6, 2009, 1:17 P.M. ET

OTTAWA (Dow Jones)--Total SA (TOT) may delay its investment decision for the proposed C$9 billion Joslyn oil sands mine in northern Alberta by a few months as it looks to cut project costs, the company said Monday.

The French oil major holds a 74% interest in the oft-stalled development and had previously intended to make a go-ahead decision in early 2010.

Energy giants lose interest in Alberta carbon capture fund

Energy giants lose interest in Alberta carbon capture fund
Last Updated: Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Canadian Press

Some of the biggest players in Alberta's oilsands have dropped out of the running to be part of the province's $2 billion carbon capture and storage fund.

Nine companies, including Suncor Energy, Syncrude Canada Ltd., and ConocoPhillips Canada, are no longer interested in sending the province proposals for carbon capture and storage projects. A total of 20 companies were chosen by the province in November to apply for the fund.

Province hires Washington lobbyists

Province hires Washington lobbyists
Updated: Sat Apr. 04 2009
ctvcalgary.ca

The province has hired Washington lobbyists to pitch the oil patch to Alberta's biggest customer.

"There is so much at stake for Alberta and we will be applying the full-court press. Not only on elected officials but also on the U.S. administration," says Premier Ed Stelmach.

The move comes as the American government is under increasing pressure to invest in and purchase green energy.

Stelmach says many don't realize how clean Alberta's oil sands are and that's why he's enlisting the help of lobbyists.

Nexen, Opti Canada May Be Targeted in Tar-Sands Deals

Nexen, Opti Canada May Be Targeted in Oil-Sands Deals
By Joe Carroll

April 3 (Bloomberg) -- Nexen Inc. and Opti Canada Inc. may be among Canadian oil companies targeted for takeovers as a price collapse triggers a rush by larger producers to amass holdings in the biggest crude deposits outside Saudi Arabia.