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 prices plunge on Japan nuclear crisis
Japan’s reactor woes send oil prices lower
By Robert Gibbons, Reuters
March 15, 2011
NEW YORK — Brent crude prices on Tuesday tumbled 4.5 per cent, its biggest drop in over 13 months, as Japan’s escalating nuclear reactor crisis sparked risk aversion even as clashes in Bahrain and Libya briefly pulled prices off lows.
Province says more study needed on oil sands impact
Ian Campbell Mar 09, 2011
660news.com
The provincial government says any impact from the oil sands warrants further study.
The latest report by a government-appointed panel failed to dig up any differences than the findings of independent scientists.
The province says contamination in the Athabasca River comes from natural sources, but University of Alberta researchers say they've traced hydrocarbons and heavy metals directly to the oil sands.
Global unrest making oil sands look even more attractive
February 23, 2011
CALGARY, AB, Feb. 23, 2011/ Troy Media/ – Oil prices spiked to their highest level since the recession this morning, as unrest in several Middle-Eastern countries spooked commodity markets. How this impacts Alberta depends largely on how long the rise lasts for. If instability continues to reign, it could spell good news for investment in Alberta.
Utah’s tar sands
By mike duncan
Mar 09 2011
Salt Lake Tribune
Tar sands are no longer a what-if. This water-intensive mining may be coming to Utah soon, and what it could become is a big deal indeed.
Unlike gas wells, extracting oil from sand is neither quiet nor unobtrusive. Despite admirable efforts to minimize water use and reduce water pollution, the industry uses considerable water and generates wastes, especially if pipelines are built and field refineries established to avoid trucking the thick oil.
Jordan inks $1.8-bn oil shale deal with British firm
2011-03-09 23:10:00
Amman, March 9 (DPA) The Jordanian government Wednesday signed a $1.8 billion concession agreement with the Karak International Oil (KIO), a subsidiary of Britain's Jordan Energy and Mining Ltd, for the production of crude from Jordanian oil shale deposits.
A signatory to the agreement is also Polysuis AG, a subsidiary of Thyssenkrupp Group of Germany, which will prepare the designs, and install and maintain the equipment for the project.
It’s Well Past Time to Start Taking Peak Oil Seriously
by Jeremy R. Hammond
February 27, 2011
72Share
The Difference Between Oil Reserves and Supply
Monday | March 07, 2011
Oil discoveries versus oil consumption bar graph
The following article appeared in the March7, 2011 edition of Peak Oil Review, published weekly by the Association for the Study of Peak Oil USA. I thought EV World readers would find it of value.
Military members push for pipeline
Daily Progress, Jacksonville, TX
March 5, 2011
Meagan O'Toole-Pitts Jacksonville Daily Progress The Jacksonville Daily Progress Sat Mar 05, 2011, 02:11 PM CST
JACKSONVILLE — The American GI Forum of Texas and 66 military veterans urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to grant TransCanada a Presidential Permit to allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline expansion this week, aiming to reduce the nation’s dependency on oil in the Middle East.
Green groups call for more review of pipeline
By JAMES MacPHERSON
More from BusinessWeek
March 3, 2011
BISMARCK, N.D.
The U.S. government must evaluate the additional impacts of allowing domestic crude on a proposed pipeline designed to carry Canadian tar sands oil to refineries along the Gulf Coast, a coalition of environmental groups has said.
B.C. may face unprecedented native unrest if rights ignored
TEX ENEMARK,
VANCOUVER SUN
MARCH 3, 2011
In an article in The Sun Feb. 14, ("The Skeetchestn say enough already"),
Rich Deneault, the Skeetchestn Band chief served notice that the way
business and governments ride roughshod over native rights in British
Columbia has to come to an end, or face the consequences, which may not be
pretty.
He says, very bluntly, "In the days ahead, those companies and agencies
that have not acted honourably will be receiving letters from us, advising
