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.
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
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
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 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 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 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.
Oil industry studies Harper's surprise bitumen pledge
Dave Cooper, edmontonjournal.com
Published: Friday, September 26, 2008
EDMONTON - The Alberta government and the oil industry are studying Prime Minister Stephen Harper's surprise election pledge this morning to place restrictions on the export of raw bitumen.
Premier Ed Stelmach is expected to respond this afternoon.
Resource Council withdraws from lawsuit
Sep 24 2008 // Associated Press
Bismarck, N.D. (AP) The Dickinson-based Dakota Resource Council is withdrawing from a federal lawsuit over the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline.
DRC Board Chairman Roger Brenna says his group will keep its focus local by closely monitoring the pipeline construction.
The Natural Resources Defense Council says it will carry on the case, which challenges the U.S. State Department's environmental review of the pipeline.
