International Oil & Gas is a category for stories relating to tar sand production or climate change but not in any of the projects already listed geographically. This includes other regions of the planet with horrible environmental and high energy costs that, like the tar sands, are only a "choice" because of high prices and the global depletion of easily recoverable oil reserves. Such issues as the threat of war on Iran, "instability" in Iraq and Venezuela or disasters like Katrina will all drive up oil prices, which in turn doubly encourages tar sand production-- by price demand and energy demand.
Stock markets and global oil interests (including war) would be included here, as would attempts to get oil out of high risk, low return areas from oil shale in Colorado, to natural gas and heavy oil in the high eastern Arctic. The tar sands are part of this trend and should be seen as such. What happens with the tar sands will have a tremendous impact on what kind of choices are made elsewhere, environmentally and socially.
Snippets from the Business pages:
1 Enbridge Promises to build Gateway Pipeline without PetroChina & build Alberta Clipper
2 Largest Companies trying to get in on Expansion of Tar Sands
3 CP to further Expand in Tar Sands
4 Husky adding more Refineries
5 Imperial Oil buys huge exploration permit in Arctic /Beaufort Sea
These stories paint a collective picture of development of mock "oil" out of control.
Record gas prices not curbing drivers
By Associated Press // July 21, 2007
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/07/21/money/doc46a2c55c375cf8724...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Record-high prices for gasoline this year haven’t dampened U.S. drivers’ demand for fuel, an industry trade group said last week.
Drivers consumed a record 9.2 million barrels, or 388 million gallons, of gasoline on average every day during the first half of the year, up 1.5 percent from last year’s levels, the American Petroleum Institute said in its midyear review of fuel statistics.
Europe must do what it can to stop the rush for ‘bad oil’
http://www.transportenvironment.org/Article440.html
Jul 26, 2007
Editorial by Jos Dings
Bad oil? To some people familiar with the environmental movement, the term “bad oil” may sound odd. Isn’t all oil bad from an environmental perspective?
Everything is relative. Yes, the oil we use today is very bad for the climate. But the so-called “unconventional” oil the world is looking to use in increasing intensity is so bad for the climate that today’s oil actually looks good in comparison.
Shell rakes in profits from Canadian tar-sands unit: Times of London
By London Bureau
Last Update: 6:31 AM ET Jul 27, 2007
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/shell-rakes-profits-canadian-oil-s...
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The world's dirtiest oil is producing the highest profit per barrel for Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA.LN), which yesterday said it would begin to report the earnings of its controversial Canadian oil sands operations as a separate business unit, the Times of London reports Friday.
Alberta building unions threaten oil sands strike
Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:27 PM EDT
By Scott Haggett
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Five Alberta construction unions have voted in favor of their first strike in a quarter of a century as they seek higher wages and improved working conditions at a slate of multibillion-dollar oil sands projects.
Electricians, boilermakers, plumbers and pipefitters, millwrights, and refrigeration mechanics have approved a strike and 72-hour notice could be served as soon as Wednesday, though a quick walk-off is not yet certain, an analyst said.
EDMONTON SUN
By NICKI THOMAS, SPECIAL TO SUN MEDIA
A heavily guarded Ed Stelmach served pancakes to a crowd of early risers at yesterday's Premier's Capital Ex Breakfast.
Two weeks after an attempted pie attack at the Calgary Stampede, a beefed-up security team ensured a similar incident wasn't possible.
Plainclothes security staff as well as bicycle cops and uniformed sheriffs kept an eye on the crowd as Stelmach shook hands and spoke with visitors.
$100 Oil Price May Be Months Away, Say CIBC, Goldman (Update1)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aYjwn7IqTlHQ&refer=home
By Mark Shenk
July 23 (Bloomberg) -- The $100-a-barrel oil that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said would prevail by 2009 may be only a few months away.
Trade workers closer to striking
Members of 5 major unions vote in favour
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/07/20/4356422.html
By GLENN KAUTH, SUN MEDIA
Trades workers have taken one step closer to striking after members of five major unions voted in favour of walking off the job.
The Alberta Labour Relations Board has yet to certify the results, but Barry Salmon, media liaison for the labour groups, said Friday unofficial numbers show all five unions have strike mandates.
Demand to Outpace Crude Supplies
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/16/AR200707...
By H. JOSEF HEBERT
Monday, July 16, 2007; 9:25 PM
WASHINGTON -- Conventional crude oil supplies won't keep up with growing global demand in the next 25 years and other fuels from ethanol to liquefied coal and oil from tar sands will be needed to close the gap, says a draft oil industry report.
Oil from shale could meet need
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/energywatch/oilandgas/features/articl...
By Megan Harris Jul 21, 2007, 0:34 GMT
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- Technology to draw oil from rock in Rocky Mountain states and other unconventional sources is getting another look from companies and the government as the demand for energy increases and supply tightens, especially in the United States.
