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.
Why the BBC's 'impartial' stance on climate science is irresponsible
Sceptics too often go unchallenged when they make inaccurate and misleading statements on BBC programmes
Bob Ward
Thursday 3 March 2011
guardian.co.uk
A bizarre performance by former TV presenter Johnny Ball on Wednesday's edition of The Daily Politics show has once again highlighted the BBC's unsuccessful struggle to balance accuracy and impartiality when it comes to climate change.
The government of T&T is now openly pushing the expansion of Tar Sands bitumen extraction to include their small island. The link below is to a pamphlet put out only a couple of weeks back. Anyone who knows people in T&T should immediately raise the alarm as to what is actually taking place, and not allow this development-- the most destructive in the world-- from entering through the backdoor on this spectacular island.
What 'Peak Oil' Really Means for the Energy Sector
by: Kenneth D. Worth February 23, 2011
Peak oil is here. Even the International Energy Agency (IEA) has admitted that production of conventional petroleum has peaked, although they forecast continued conventional production at 2011's reduced levels (down 2 million barrels per day from 2006) many years into the future.
Suncor, Syncrude face new regulations
CARRIE TAIT
CALGARY— Globe and Mail Update
Published Tuesday, Mar. 01, 2011
The Alberta government is on the verge of rewriting rules governing oil sands reclamation, changes that target the two largest players in northern Alberta as well as any new mines.
Oil sands crude fetches premium price
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE
Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Mar. 02, 2011
Synthetic crude – produced by oil sands companies such as Suncor Energy Inc., Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Nexen Inc. and Syncrude Canada Ltd. – is fetching a premium of more than $15 over West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark U.S. crude that closed above $100 yesterday for the first time since October, 2008. Historically, the price for synthetic crude has stayed roughly level with WTI.
Disaster Capitalism at the Local Level
Tar Sands to Toledo
Weekend edition,
February 25 - 26, 2011
By TRUDY BOND
"I am extremely pleased with the announcement that BP has given the green light for the Sunrise project in Alberta."
-- Ohio Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur
Environmental groups urge regulations on 'tar sands' crude oil type that spilled into Kalamazoo River
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Chris Killian | Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette
BATTLE CREEK — Sometime this year, Congress will begin work to reauthorize funding to monitor and regulate the nation's 2.3-million mile network of hazardous liquids pipelines.
EU to tackle Canadian tar sands in new law -sources
Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:20pm GMT
Reuters
By Pete Harrison and Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck BRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Europe's trade and climate chiefs are preparing to take a stand against imports of oil from Canada's polluting tar sands, despite fears the move might wreck a multi-billion dollar trade deal, according to EU sources and documents.
European Union sources said this week that Canada had threatened to pull out of trade talks because of the clash, but Ottawa has denied that. [ID:nLDE71H14V]
[For background to this story, check here:
http://www.mediacoop.ca/story/devastation-madagascar/5524 ]
Madagascar Oil standoff with island government continues
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
by Andre Lamberti
Madagascar Oil’s standoff with the government is still continuing and the group said it remains extremely concerned by the delays that have been incurred since the initial meeting on December 16 2010 in which the island’s Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons (MMH) said it was interested in buying the company's licences.
The stock remains suspended at 75 pence.
Long Lake oil sands output may lag targets
Thu Feb 10, 2011
By Scott Haggett and Jeffrey Jones
CALGARY, Alberta, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Nexen Inc, the operator of the Long Lake oil sands project, warned that output may fall short of forecasts because of operational problems that analysts say may take heavy spending to fix.
Nexen shares dropped more 3 percent on Thursday when it said January output fell at the underperforming oil sands project in the Canadian province of Alberta.
