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.
Dramatic Shift in the Peak Oil Debate
Written by Kurt Cobb
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
If you write about, speak about, or talk with your family, friends and co-workers about peak oil, you've almost certainly been asked: "Well, who else is saying what you're saying?"
German Government Rejects Report ‘Peak Oil’ Occurred in 2010
By Rainer Buergin - Jan 24, 2011
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government rejected a report by Germany’s armed forces that global crude-oil production reached its maximum last year, parliament’s HIB newsletter said.
Crude output “can be increased through 2035 under today’s conditions, assuming an optimal development and exploitation of reserves,” HIB said today, citing the government’s response to a query by the opposition Green party. The government’s outlook is based on International Energy Agency estimates, it said.
Extreme Offshore: The Hunt for Hard to Find Crude
Written by Al Fin
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Brazil's quest for extreme oil may cost as much as US$ 1 trillion. That is a lot of money to invest in a such a risky proposition -- to retrieve oil that is miles deep underwater. But oil prospectors and producers around the world are on the prowl for extreme crude -- found in places that previous generations would not have dreamed of going.
Education, action forum set on pipeline
By the Lincoln Journal Star JournalStar.com |
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Pipeline expert Paul Blackburn of Plains Justice and author Mary Pipher will speak Saturday at an education and action forum about the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline.
A panel will present information on the pipeline, followed by a Q&A with attendees. The forum will run from 10-11:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 2723 N. 50th St., and will wrap up with a grassroots activism training and launch of a new action guide, according to a news release.
Groups ask Upton to remember the Enbridge oil spill
Upton promises work on pipeline safety legislation
By Eartha Jane Melzer | 01.26.11
When Enbridge’s Lakehead 6B pipeline spilled a million gallons of tar sands crude into the river that runs through the heart of Rep. Fred Upton’s (R-St. Joseph) district last year, the congressman pledged aggressive action to protect the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Harper’s embrace of ‘ethical’ oil sands reignites 'dirty' arguments
STEVEN CHASE
OTTAWA— From Saturday's Globe and Mail (January 08, 2011)
Stephen Harper is embracing the notion that Canada’s controversial oil sands are an “ethical” source of energy, strengthening his support of the maligned resource and kicking off a new chapter in the debate over what critics call “dirty oil.”
The Prime Minister told reporters Friday that his government wants to “explain to the world” that petroleum from Western Canada’s oil sands is superior in respects to crude from other countries.
Damaged oil sands upgrader to resume production soon
January 11, 2011 | 08:21
Frank Landry | QMI Agency
EDMONTON - An oilsands upgrader damaged by fire last week could resume production at half-capacity sooner than expected, says Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL).
But that will depend on whether the province gives the go-ahead.
The company said it is working with Occupational Health and Safety to determine what went wrong at the site, about 75 km north of Fort McMurray.
Madagascar Oil tax in dispute before float
Rowena Mason
UK Telegraph 04 Jan 2011
Last month the Madagascar government announced that it planned to seize the oil group’s licences forcing Madagascar Oil to suspend trading in its shares just three weeks after the company floated on AIM.
The suspension was another blow to the reputation of the AIM market, coming just weeks after fellow oil minnow Desire Petroleum claimed to have found oil, only to admit days later that it was only water.
How Ethical Are Canada's Ethical Funds?
By Larry Powell
January 12, 2011
"Conscientious" investments and the tar sands connection
I doubt that any investors with a social conscience would assume that the
"ethical" funds they hold would be helping pay for such projects as the
Alberta oil sands.
I certainly didn't. Though it turns out, I was wrong!
All five of Canada's major banks lend money to tar sands operators. And all
five are actually included in the portfolios of the many ethical investment
funds in this country.
Tarsands pollution: Ottawa tries to ‘up its game’
Published On Mon Dec 27 2010
The Toronto Star
After digging their heads in the tarsands for years, the governing Conservatives have seen the light: Environment Minister John Baird vowed last week to “up the federal government’s game.”
