Energy

Jordan finalises deal for first oil shale plant
by Taylor Luck | Jun 02,2012 |
Jordan Times

AMMAN — Jordan has reached an agreement for the country’s first oil shale-fired power plant in what energy officials are calling a “milestone” in the country’s drive for energy independence.

Authorities announced on Saturday that Jordan has reached an agreement with Estonian-Malaysian consortium Enefit to construct a 460-megawatt (MW) oil shale power plant within the next four years, in what is to be the first electricity station utilising the alternative energy resource in the entire region.

Note: This basically outlays the death of any EU plans to deal with climate, even if they were hopelessly weak to begin with, but more importantly it lays bear the death of allowing campaigns to decide "strategically" to focus on certain areas to the death of others. Many environmentalists have allowed and basically brought this to fruition because there has been little to no energy put behind fighting fracking north of the 49th parallel. Sad but true.

--M

Gas rebranded as green energy by EU

Energy in Canada
The great pipeline battle
The energy industry and Stephen Harper’s government try to ensure tar-sands oil gets to market

May 26th 2012 | OTTAWA
The Economist

Oil sands company raises $11M, will start 1st US commercial production of tar sands in Utah

The Republic (Indiana)
May 24, 2012

SALT LAKE CITY — A tiny Canadian company says it has raised enough money from a stock offering to start producing oil from Utah's tar sands for a first-of-its kind project in the U.S.

U.S. Oil Sands Inc. says it raised $11 million from the offering and plans to start digging a 62-acre pit in eastern Utah this summer. Environmental groups fear it could lead to widespread destruction of public lands in the Rocky Mountain region.

Protesters disrupt hearing on pumping tarsands oil through Flamborough

Hamilton Spectator
May 23, 2012

Protesters have halted a hearing into a proposal to ship tarsands oil through Flamborough.

Enbridge has asked the National Energy Board to allow for a reversal of flow in its Line 9 pipeline which runs from Sarnia to Westover.

The three-day hearing opened Wednesday morning, but was immediately stopped when Native and environmental protestors began chanting in a London, Ont. hearing room.

Settlement Reached In BP Tar Sands Controversy
By Network Indiana
Posted May 24, 2012

A settlement has been signed that will cut emissions from the highly-polluting tar sands oil project in Northwest Indiana.

The controversy over state air pollution permits to expand British Petroleum’s refinery in Whiting, Indiana is coming to an end. A precedent-setting settlement has been signed that will cut emissions from the highly-polluting tar sands oil project and provide stronger air quality protections for Northwest Indiana residents.

Iran row fuels hunt for new oil sources

Indrani Bagchi, TNN | May 13, 2012

NEW DELHI: An unstable Persian Gulf and West Asia, coupled with the US pressure on India to cut oil imports from Iran, is driving New Delhi to make diversification a major plank of its energy policy. Now, India is looking at Canada, Nigeria, Venezuela and even Brazil as new sources of oil and gas.

Global Warming: An Exclusive Look at James Hansen’s Scary New Math

A new analysis by the NASA climatologist for the first time ties specific weather events to human-induced climate change

By Paul Tullis | May 10, 2012

How can NASA physicist and climatologist James E. Hansen, writing in the New York Times today, “say with high confidence” that recent heat waves in Texas and Russia “were not natural events” but actually “caused by human-induced climate change”?

First Nations to Enbridge: 'The war is on'

The Canadian Press

Date: Wed. May. 9 2012

TORONTO — Scores of West Coast First Nations and supporters ended a colourful and noisy protest against a proposed Enbridge oil pipeline Wednesday with a declaration of war from one of their chiefs.

The Yinka-Dene Alliance argues the Northern Gateway project poses a threat to aboriginals' way of life by threatening waterways and ecosystems but Enbridge insists the project will proceed.

"The war is on," said Nadleh Whut'en Chief Martin Louie after the shareholder meeting.

First barrels of Jordanian oil shale expected this year
by Taylor Luck | May 08,2012 |

DEAD SEA — An Estonian-Jordanian firm is set to pump the first ever commercially viable barrels of Jordanian oil shale this year.

Jordan Oil Shale Energy (JOSE) revealed on Tuesday that the firm was scheduled to bring the first commercially-viable Jordanian oil share to the surface in the central region of Attarat this September.