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.
BLM sets environmental rules for shale energy
Utah Republicans praise the action, but actual development of the lands likely far in the future
By Christopher Smart
The Salt Lake Tribune 09/06/2008
Utah's Uinta Basin holds a lot of oil shale and some tar sands, but what it will take to turn that potential into petroleum remains a question with no easy answers or time frame.
by John Michael Greer
The Archdruid Report (September 03 2008)
Druid perspectives on nature, culture, and the future of industrial society
The mismatch between the narratives of sudden apocalypse that shape so
much of today's debate about the future, on the one hand, and the
sluggish pace at which the predicament of industrial society unfolds in
the real world, on the other, found a poster child of sorts last
weekend. During the days of uncertainty before Hurricane Gustav's
arrival on the Louisiana coast, some enthusiastic soul posted claims to
Pipeline back on the radar
Published: September 03, 2008 5:00 AM
Black Press
Public consultation on Enbridge's Gateway pipeline project is set to begin in Smithers sometime in November.
Roger Harris, Enbridge vice-president of communications and aboriginal partnerships, was in Smithers Aug. 27 to discuss the project with Town Council and the Chamber of Commerce.
'Blood diamond' smugglers threaten Canada's northern industry
Andrew Mayeda , Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, September 04, 2008
OTTAWA - The diamond industry in Canada's Far North is vulnerable to smugglers looking to import "blood diamonds" or launder the proceeds of organized crime syndicates and terrorist organizations, newly released federal documents say.
Issues - We’re in for a whale of a time
Lifting moratoria to create pipeline and tanker ‘energy corridor’
CHRIS GENOVALI / raincoast.org
Week of September 4, 2008
Canada Needs a National Water Policy That Bans Bulk Water Exports
by Dana Gabriel // 8/29/08
POLITICS-US: Canada's Tar Sands Lobbyists Focus on Democrats
By Chris Arsenault
VANCOUVER, Sep 2 (IPS) - As the U.S. election campaign kicks into overdrive, Canadian politicians and oil executives are stepping up lobbying efforts to make sure whoever controls the White House keeps purchasing notoriously dirty oil from the Alberta tar sands.
Westar Energy to Build Transmission Line Near Atchison, Kansas
Posted on: Tuesday, 2 September 2008, 09:00 CDT
Westar Energy, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution, has announced that it will build a 115kV high-capacity transmission line near Atchison, Kansas.
Oil sands creating gold rush, conundrum
EVE BYRON/Independent Record
Editor's note: This is the first installment in a two-day series by the Helena Independent Record examining Canadian oil sands production, its impact on the economy and the environment, and the potential connection to Montana's own energy development.
FORT McMURRAY, Alberta - The helicopter slices above the Athabasca River with only a smokestack in the distance hinting at the development about to be unveiled.
Suncor oil sands plant outage means less light oil
Tue Sep 2, 2008 5:15pm EDT
CALGARY, Alberta, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Suncor Energy Inc (SU.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Tuesday it expects a processing unit at one of its oil sands upgrading plants to be off line for up to 90 days, changing the mix of its output but not cutting overall production.
Suncor, which runs Canada's second largest oil sands mining and synthetic crude operations, said a hydrogen plant at the northern Alberta site suffered an unscheduled outage in August.
