Energy and how it is captured and consumed is barely viable in tar sands production. While the amount of oil in places such as the tar sands in Alberta or the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela may have deposits of similar size to the reserves of countries such as Saudi Arabia or Iraq, the return of new energy after expending energy in production is not even close. In Iraq, the process of using one barrel of oil generates 100 new barrels. In the tar sands, estimates of 3 to 1 and even as low as 1.5 to 1 have been made. Offsetting the net energy loss would require minimally 25-30 tar sands facilities for one Saudi plant operating at the same capacity.
Alberta to seek tax breaks for oil sands
Capital writeoffs for bitumen upgraders on wish list for struggling sector, as finance ministers prepare to meet
SHAWN MCCARTHY
Globe and Mail // December 8, 2008
OTTAWA — The Alberta government is seeking federal tax breaks for the newly struggling oil sands sector, including accelerated capital writeoffs for upgraders, as sliding oil prices and high costs have caused companies to delay or shelve development plans.
Ottawa promises to protect oilsands from economic crisis
Mike De Souza, Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, December 05, 2008
OTTAWA - The Harper government pledged to protect the oilsands sector from economic uncertainty as it challenged opposition parties on Friday to explain how their proposed coalition would regulate pollution from the western Canadian industry.
More time granted to comment on pipeline
Groups petitioned U.S. State Department on behalf of farmers, ranchers
Thom Gabrukiewicz • tgabrukiew@argusleader.com • December 6, 2008
People will have much more time to comment on the application for a presidential permit required to build TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline.
Mackenzie pipeline stakeholders ''disappointed'' at environmental review delay (Mackenzie-Delay)
CALGARY _ A panel examining the Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline project said Friday it will take another year to complete its long-awaited review in the latest setback for the multibillion-dollar plan that originally hoped to have gas flowing in 2009.
Tahltan Nation Applauds Government Decision to Suspend Coalbed Methane Development in the Sacred Headwaters
DEASE LAKE, BC, Dec. 5 /CNW/ - The Tahltan Central Council (TCC), the
organization responsible for protecting Tahltan Title and Rights, applauds
today's provincial government announcement to amend Shell Canada's petroleum
and natural gas tenure license. The amendment will stop Shell from exploring
and developing coalbed methane (CBM), a form of natural gas extracted from
coal beds, in the Klappan region. The Klappan is a region in northwestern
Foreign Canada Line workers win multi-million dollar human rights case
By Kelly Sinoski
December 3, 2008
Vancouver Sun
VANCOUVER - A group of temporary foreign workers who helped build the
Canada Line have won a multi-million dollar award from the BC Human Rights
Tribunal after it found they were discriminated against by their
employers.
SELI Canada and SNC Lavalin, which was boring parallel tunnels under
downtown Vancouver, has been under the microscope since early last year
after a series of complaints to the Labour Relations Board, the B.C. Human
Enbridge brings experts to Burns Lake to inform locals
Published: November 25, 2008 11:00 PM
Enbridge held an open house on Nov. 17 at College of New Caledonia (CNC) as part of its efforts to let the public know what is going on with its Northern Gateway pipeline project.
Several dozen people attended the open house, which was held from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm to allow people flexibility in attending the information session, and a dozen Northern Gateway engineers, environmental experts, and communications people were on hand to answer people’s questions.
TransCanada shores up liquidity for Keystone
Reuters
Published: Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Despite uncertain markets, Trans-Canada Corp. closed its second big stock offering of the year Tuesday and secured a $950-million credit facility as it moved to shore up its balance sheet to cover the cost of building the $5.2-billion Keystone pipeline.
Did peak oil go away? No
By Tim Stevenson
Saturday, November 29 // Brattleboro Reformer
ATHENS -- With the price of oil plummeting below $50 a barrel, shedding close to $100 since July, and commensurate readings appearing at the gas pump, people have something to feel good about during an otherwise dismal economic time. Unfortunately, it may mislead the less informed to dismiss warnings about imminent peak oil as so much Y2K false alarm.
Shell moves to slow Canadian oil sands project
Thu Nov 27, 2008 12:57pm EST
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L: Quote) is delaying another Canadian oil sands project, saying on Thursday it has withdrawn a regulatory application for its 100,000 barrel per day Carmon Creek thermal project as it looks to shave costs by revamping the project.
