Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Energy

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.

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Canada pushing to exploit Alberta's tar sands

Canada pushing to exploit Alberta's oil sand
Rob Gillies, Associated Press
Sunday, August 31, 2008
(08-31) 04:00 PDT Fort McMurray, Alberta

The largest dump truck in the world is parked under a huge mechanical shovel waiting to transport 400 tons of oily sand at an open pit mine in the northern reaches of Alberta.

Each Caterpillar 797B heavy hauler - three stories high, with tires twice as tall as the average man - carries the equivalent of 200 barrels of heavy oil worth nearly $23,000 per haul at today's prices.

ALABAMA VOICES: Drilling not answer

ALABAMA VOICES: Drilling not answer
August 31, 2008

First of two parts
By John Ackerman

Over the past few months there has been a great deal written about our dependency on fossil fuels and an alternative to this dilemma called "drill here, drill now, pay less" was offered.

The tar sands that bind-- two National Post Articles

[FYI - these two articles appear side by side in the 2 September 2008
edition of the National Post, pg. A15, "First of a Series"]

The oil sands that bind

As concern about the future of oil mounts, the Post looks at the
world's most-talked-about commodity. Today, Adam Waterous explains how
the oil sands strengthen Confederation and Donald Boudreaux explains
why running out of oil is a virtual economic impossibility

Adam Waterous, National Post Published: Tuesday, September 02, 2008
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=760790

Post-Peak Politics

Post-Peak Politics
by John Michael Greer

The Archdruid Report (July 23 2008)

Druid perspectives on nature, culture, and the future of industrial society

The recent downward lurch in the price of oil, among its other effects,
has provided a good look at the downward arc of a cycle of public
discourse about energy that will likely become all too familiar during
the months and years ahead of us. As oil prices rose to new records a
few weeks back, the media bristled with pundits warning about an
imminent energy crisis in language ranging from sober to apocalyptic.

Enbridge, BP to expand tar sands pipeline network

Enbridge, BP to expand pipeline network
August 29, 2008 at 12:44 PM EDT

CALGARY — Enbridge Inc. and BP Plc plan to spend up to $2-billion (U.S.) expanding their pipeline systems to ship growing volumes of Canadian crude oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast, they said Friday.

Enbridge, best known as operator of the main artery for Canadian oil exports, and BP, the British oil major, said they aim to develop a system to ship 250,000 barrels of oil a day to Texas City, Texas, from Flanagan, Illinois, by 2012.

Why an oil refinery [in South Dakota] is a step in the wrong direction

Peter Carrels : Why an oil refinery is a step in the wrong direction
Saturday, August 23, 2008

In South Dakota, politicians and business leaders are cheering a massive oil refinery planned for the state’s southeast corner. If built, it will be the first oil refinery constructed in the United States in more than 30 years.

Why oil won't fall below $100

Why oil won't fall below $100
With a surge in the price of global commodities, it's costing more to produce a barrel of oil than ever before.
By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: August 22, 2008: 3:47 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Last week, falling oil prices looked unstoppable. The last few days have seen a halt in that slide. Still with prices well below the record set in July and a shaky world economy threatening demand, the question remains: How low can oil go?

Iraq Signs Oil Deal With China Worth Up to $3 Billion

Iraq Signs Oil Deal With China Worth Up to $3 Billion
August 29, 2008
By ERICA GOODE and RIYADH MOHAMMED

BAGHDAD — In the first major oil deal Iraq has made with a foreign
country since 2003, the Iraqi government and the China National
Petroleum Corporation have signed a contract in Beijing that could be
worth up to $3 billion, Iraqi officials said Thursday.

Under the new contract, which must still be approved by Iraq's
cabinet, the Chinese company will provide technical advisers, oil
workers and equipment to help develop the Ahdab oil field southeast of

On Clean Coal...

If By Clean You Mean Filthy

by Umbra Fisk

Grist (July 23 2008)

Question

Dear Umbra,

I noticed that several of the presidential primary debates were
sponsored by clean coal. This was announced during breaks and several
commercials aired. I have since seen several more commercials and online
advertisements. Is clean coal an oxymoron? Is this a PR stunt or are
there any real environmental benefits to clean coal that rival solar and
wind? See www.americaspower.org.

Andrew S.
Brookline, Massachusetts

Answer

Dearest Andrew,

Canada's Harper Says Mackenzie Pipeline to `Come to Fruition'

By Theophilos Argitis and Alexandre Deslongchamps

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he is ``optimistic'' Imperial Oil Ltd.'s Mackenzie pipeline project will ``come to fruition.''

``I am optimistic that in the not-too-distant future this project will come to fruition,'' Harper told reporters today in the village of Tuktoyaktuk on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.