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.
August 4, 2008
TransCanada announces plan to expand Keystone pipeline capacity
Richard Gilbert
staff writer
A Calgary-based company is expanding its plans to build a pipeline to transport oil from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast, while construction of the project ramps up in both countries.
The Keystone pipeline expansion involves the construction of a 3,200-kilometre, 36-inch crude oil pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to a delivery point near existing terminals in Port Arthur, Texas.
TransCanada's Alaska pipeline project wins approval by state Senate
By: THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY - TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) said Friday the Alaska Legislature has signed off on a license for the company's US$26-billion Alaska Pipeline Project under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act.
"The legislature's decision represents a significant milestone in advancing this major natural gas pipeline project to connect stranded U.S. natural gas reserves to Alaskan and Lower 48 consumers," TransCanada president and chief executive Hal Kvisle said.
Coal Juice: High Energy Prices Prompt First U.S. Coal-to-Liquids Plant
Posted by Keith Johnson
Fresh hope for U.S. coal? (AP) July 28, 2008, 1:58 pm
It’s far from clear that higher energy prices are environmentalists’ friend. Though they migh eventually spur clean energy, they’re doing a good bit of the opposite right now.
Increase of Migrant Workers in Canada Opens Door to Abuses
By Am Johal, IPS News. Posted July 31, 2008.
Canada's construction boom has brought in thousands of foreign workers. They're being horribly exploited.
Tools
VANCOUVER, Jul 15 (IPS) -- Western Canada's construction boom, spurred on by the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and oil sands development in Alberta, has led to a massive increase in foreign temporary workers coming to the region.
Oil: Tar sands less damaging than coal, insists Shell
· Profits from controversial source increase by 74%
· Group makes $7.9bn as Exxon hits record $11.7bn
* Terry Macalister
* The Guardian,
* Friday August 1 2008
Shell warned environmentalists and ethical investors yesterday that failure to exploit tar sands and other unconventional oil products would worsen climate change because it would lead to the world burning even more carbon-heavy coal.
Enbridge Gateway line gains footing; profit jumps
Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:29pm IST
By Jeffrey Jones
CALGARY, Alberta, July 31 (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc (ENB.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) is making big strides with a multibillion-dollar plan to ship crude from Canada's oil sands to Asia, the pipeline operator said on Thursday as it reported a more than fourfold jump in second-quarter profit.
Enbridge, Canada's No. 2 pipeline company, also boosted its forecast for 2008 earnings. Its shares jumped 4 percent.
N.B. inmates training to be oil rig workers
Last Updated: Monday, July 7, 2008
CBC News
Inmates at the Westmoreland Institution in New Brunswick are being provided with the chance to train to be oil workers.
The Dorchester-based minimum-security penitentiary is offering a 20-day course to teach inmates the basics of becoming a roughneck on an oil rig.
A similar program has also been offered to inmates who are on parole and has had a high success rate, said Isabelle Leblanc-Gallant, who is setting up the job training at the institution.
Investors urged to kick the tar sands habit
New report claims carbon intensive projects to extract oil from Canadian tar sands present unacceptable business risks
James Murray, BusinessGreen, 29 Jul 2008
Investors are to be urged to shun controversial projects to extract oil from North American tar fields following the publication of a major new report that claims the carbon intensive processes involved represent an unacceptable environmental and business risk.
Quote from the article below:
"It could also, conceivably, shut down Canada's only tactical bombing range at Cold Lake."
