Tar Sands 101
The Tar Sands "Gigaproject" is the largest industrial project in human history and likely also the most destructive. The tar sands mining procedure releases at least three times the CO2 emissions as regular oil production and is slated to become the single largest industrial contributor in North America to Climate Change.
The tar sands are already slated to be the cause of up to the second fastest rate of deforestation on the planet behind the Amazon Rainforest Basin. Currently approved projects will see 3 million barrels of tar sands mock crude produced daily by 2018; for each barrel of oil up to as high as five barrels of water are used.
Human health in many communities has seriously taken a turn for the worse with many causes alleged to be from tar sands production. Tar sands production has led to many serious social issues throughout Alberta, from housing crises to the vast expansion of temporary foreign worker programs that racialize and exploit so-called non-citizens. Infrastructure from pipelines to refineries to super tanker oil traffic on the seas crosses the continent in all directions to allthree major oceans and the Gulf of Mexico.
The mock oil produced primarily is consumed in the United States and helps to subsidize continued wars of aggression against other oil producing nations such as Iraq, Venezuela and Iran.
To understand the tar sands in more depth, continue to our Tar Sands 101 reading list
Teck scraps Cominco brand, recasts business unit structure
Teck scraps Cominco brand, recasts business unit structure
Oct 1 2008
VANCOUVER — Teck Cominco Ltd. (TSX:TCK.B) is eliminating Cominco from its name and announcing a five-division structure to reflect its growth through acquisitions.
The five divisions specialize in copper, metallurgical coal, zinc, gold and energy, and the new name and logo "more accurately reflect Teck's diversified portfolio of commodities," the company said Wednesday.
ATCO Frontec and Fort McKay First Nation Open 500-Room "Oilsands Lodge"
ATCO Frontec and Fort McKay First Nation Open 500-Room Oilsands Lodge North of Fort McMurray
Creeburn Lake Lodge Delivers Sustainable Benefits to Joint Venture Partners
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Oct. 1, 2008) - Partners ATCO Frontec and the Fort McKay First Nation officially opened their 500-room Creeburn Lake Lodge on Wednesday which brings much-needed, high quality accommodation to the Alberta oilsands region 65 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.
Tar sands safe from U.S. law, advocates say
Oil sands safe from U.S. law, advocates say
Environmentalists claim victory as Canadian officials fail to weaken legislation that limits Washington's fuel choices
JOHN PARTRIDGE
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
October 1, 2008 at 6:58 AM EDT
U.S. environmentalists have declared another victory in their efforts to protect legislation that threatens Canada's booming oil sands, but oil sands advocates say there is no triumph to celebrate.
Hoeven, Pipeline Authority, Industry Officials Outline Petroleum Infrastructure Progress
Hoeven, Pipeline Authority, Industry Officials Outline Petroleum Infrastructure Progress
Major Natural Gas Pipelines (298kb pdf)
Major Crude oil Pipelines (690kb pdf)
Natural Gas Processing Plants (17kb pdf)
Pipeline and Rail Capacity Expansion (513kb pdf)
Bismarck, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven today was joined by petroleum and pipeline industry leaders, Oil and Gas Division Director Lynn Helms and Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad to outline current and scheduled progress in expanding the state’s oil and gas production and processing infrastructure.
PM optimistic on Arctic gas [MGP]
PM optimistic on Arctic gas
Reuters
Published: Thursday, August 28, 2008
TUKTOYAKTUK, N.W.T. -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper said yesterday he remains optimistic the $16.2-billion Mackenzie gas project in the Arctic will eventually proceed, despite years of delays.
The proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline, which would carry gas to markets in Canada and the United States from three large fields in the Mackenzie River Delta, has been mired in a lengthy regulatory process while costs have surged.
Harper said the project meant more to Canada than just a "commercial gas project."
"Shut down the tar sands," NDP candidate urges
Shut down the oilsands, NDP candidate urges
Tim Lai, Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2008
VANCOUVER - Saying climate change may result in his two sons never seeing polar bears in the wild, a star NDP candidate from British Columbia called Thursday for the shutdown of Alberta's tarsands.
"We have to do something to address the climate change crisis, we need to do so now," said Michael Byers, the New Democrat hopeful in the key battleground riding of Vancouver Centre.
"We need to go after the big polluters, we need to shut the tarsands down."
Proposed Oil Refinery in Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation's Homeland
PROPOSED OIL REFINERY IN MANDAN, HIDATSA, ARIKARA NATIONS' HOMELAND
“There is a reason that a new oil refinery has not been built in our USA for over 30 years, no one wants these proven extremely toxic & polluting industries in their back yard!”
Harper's plan may hit tar sands exports to Asia
Harper's plan may hit oil sands exports to Asia
Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:55pm EDT
By Jeffrey Jones
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - A campaign promise to ban exports of tar-like bitumen from Alberta's oil sands to countries that do not match Canadian efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions could affect shipments to Asia, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Friday.
Enbridge Inc, which operates the main pipeline for Canadian oil exports to the United States, is proposing a new line to Canada's west coast from Alberta to allow oil sands-derived crude to be shipped to Asia.
