Forests lose more trees and habitat to pipeline “right of way” cuts and tar pit building than to clearcuts. With minor variation, pipelines go the direct route. Through the strip mining of the land that contains tarsand petroleum and through pipeline construction to accomodate, only the Amazon Basin in Brazil would see larger rates of deforestation than the Boreal forest cover surrendered to the tarsands. Roads often accompany pipelines, as do various other developments. Hundreds of thousands of miles of forests, all combined, have been lost to infrastructure built to accommodate tarsands operations. Now the industry wants to build two approximately 1200 km long Mackenzie and Gateway pipelines as well as 2700 km's from Alaska's North Slope to accomodate tarsand oil production.
Beautiful destruction disturbs and enchants
Thursday,
05 August 2010
Centretown News
Imagine a world of swirling technicolour among unearthly vistas of an unfathomable scale, without any obvious signs of flora or fauna.
While it seems like a description of a fantastic land like those of Tolkien or Star Trek, photographer Louis Helbig exposes these landscapes as those of the Canadian hinterland in Northern Alberta.
Canada's energy industry
Tarred with the same brush
The Gulf spill has focused American minds on pollution from Canadian oil producers. But cleaning up the tar sands will not be easy
Aug 5th 2010 | ottawa
The Economist
Oil-Sands Mining in Canada Creates Mercury, Arsenic Pollution, Globe Says
By James Kraus - Aug 10, 2010
Bloomberg
Canada’s oil sands mining operations are producing vast and fast-growing amounts of mercury, heavy metals, arsenic and other toxic substances, the Globe and Mail reported, citing data released by Environment Canada.
The volume of arsenic and lead produced and left behind in talings ponds by bitumen mines run by Syncrude Canada Ltd, Suncor Energy Inc. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc rose 26 percent, the newspaper reported.
Aecon Group adds Alberta oil sands contractor
Eric Lam, Financial Post
Aug. 9, 2010
TORONTO -- Toronto-based Aecon Group Inc. said Monday it has offered to purchase the assets of Alberta oil sands contracting services business Cow Harbour Construction Ltd., currently under creditor protection, for $180-million.
If approved, Aecon would become one of the largest mining and land reclamation contractors in the oil sands. It is already the largest construction and infrastructure development company in Canada.
Oil leak in Michigan shines negative spotlight on Canada's Enbridge
By: Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press
3/08/2010
WASHINGTON - The leak of more than three million litres of Alberta crude from a Canadian pipeline into a rural Michigan creek is shining a harsh spotlight on Canada's Enbridge Inc. in a country increasingly fed up with Big Oil after months of devastation in the Gulf of Mexico.
Anti-oilsands advertisements
Calgary Herald
August 9, 2010 2:06 AM
-Before watching the Rethink Alberta video, 54 per cent of Britons and 49 per cent of Americans said they would "definitely" or "probably" consider visiting Alberta.
-After watching the video, only 24 per cent of Britons and 26 per cent of Americans would "definitely" or "probably" consider visiting Alberta.
Proposed rules for oilsands water-removal inadequate: First Nations
Wants Athabasca protected during low flow
By Hanneke Brooymans,
edmontonjournal.com
July 23, 2010
EDMONTON — First Nations in northeastern Alberta have problems with a proposed management system for the Athabasca River that would allow oilsands operators to withdraw water during critical times of low flows.
The recommended water-withdrawal rules were released earlier this year and have since been reviewed l by the Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree First Nations.
Crews battle out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray
Jennifer Earl-King and Grant Farhall
Jul 25, 2010
More than 40 firefighters, five helicopters and air tankers continue to battle an out-of-control blaze in northern Alberta.
It's been burning since Saturday about 80 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray.
There has been some concern about the safety of workers at Firebag, a Suncor Energy site, which is only 13 kilometres away from the fire.
Wildfire information officer Rob Harris tells 660News there's no need to evacuate the area.
Ophir to Acquire Interest in Madagascar Block
Ophir Energy plc
|
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Ophir has entered into an agreement with Wilton Petroleum to acquire an 80% interest and Operatorship of a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) over an area designated as the Marovoay Block 2102, onshore Madagascar.
The Block 2102 lies in the coastal area of northwest Madagascar covering an area in excess of 12,000km2. The PSC was awarded to Wilton following a competitive licensing round in 2006.
Madagascar: Heavy Oil Promises a Bright Future for this Island Country
~July 17 2010
Pretty soon, the world’s fourth-largest island off the southeastern coast of Africa will be known more for heavy oil than it is known for the ring-tailed lemur. Experts estimate that out of the 600,000 square miles that make up Madagascar, half of the island is covered by the heavy oil-rich sedimentary basins of Morondava, Majunga and Ambilobe.
