Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Energy

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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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.

ENERGY JUSTICE IN TURTLE ISLAND – NORTH AMERICA

Dear Friends,

The Indigenous Environmental Network and Rainforest Action Network
produced this statement in response to a lobby effort in Washington DC
tomorrow by Treaty One Chiefs of Manitoba regarding the Enbridge Alberta
Clipper and the TransCanada Keystone Project. In this communication you
will find our press statement that focuses on providing an Alberta First
Nations perspective on the issue, as well as the advisory that was sent
out by Treaty One Chiefs of Manitoba on December 31, 2008. Please
distribute this to your lists far and wide.

TransCanada offers $2 billion in debt

TransCanada offers $2 billion in debt
By Dan Healing, Calgary Herald
January 6, 2009

CALGARY - A $2-billion US debt offer launched Tuesday by TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. was lauded by energy analysts who say it will be well-received in a market that has discounted most oil and gas companies’ equity.

The funding will be earmarked by the pipeline arm of Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. to replace maturing debt facilities, pay for capital projects and fund ongoing corporate activities, said company spokesman Terry Cunha.

Oil price slump undermines controversial tar sand projects

Oil price slump undermines controversial tar sand projects

Commercial viability of carbon intensive Canadian tar sands hit by combination of falling oil prices and regulatory concerns
James Murray, BusinessGreen, 06 Jan 2009

Plunging oil prices might have spelled bad news for renewable energy projects, but they are also undermining the commercial viability of some of the world's most carbon intensive energy projects.

OPEC's future blowin' in the wind

OPEC's future blowin' in the wind
Last Updated: Monday, January 5, 2009
Philip Demont
CBC News

The noise generated by the 120 wind turbines turning on the hilltops of the Viana do Castelo region in northern Portugal might not equal that of a soccer-crazy crowd at the Estadio da Luz stadium in Lisbon.

To OPEC, however, the sound from Europe's largest wind farm is as loud and clear as a high-speed train roaring across the western world.

Enbridge cleaning up spill at tar sands terminal

Enbridge cleaning up spill at oil sands terminal
Wed Jan 7, 2009 5:15pm EST

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc, Canada's No. 2 pipeline firm, said a malfunctioning valve at an oil storage facility in the oil sands region of northern Alberta this week spewed out 4,000 barrels of oil, but the spill was mostly contained on the grounds of its tank farm.

The company, whose pipelines carry the lion's share of oil sands crude to U.S. markets, said the spill occurred on Saturday at its Cheecham terminal south of Fort McMurray, Alberta, when a small fitting on a valve failed.

The Costly Compromises of Oil From Sand

The Costly Compromises of Oil From Sand
by IAN AUSTEN
Published: January 6, 2009
New York Times

OTTAWA — The oil that is extracted from Canadian dirt is being portrayed as saving America from energy dependence on the unstable Middle East, or an environmental catastrophe in the making — depending on the perspective.

The Conservative government of Canada, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has championed the industry.

Energy at any cost (Wyoming; "Rockies Express Gas Pipeline")

Energy at any cost
Natural-gas pipelines encroach on farms, homes and businesses with government support, with more projects in the works
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 3:08 AM
By Sandy Shore
ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Rockies Express natural-gas pipeline stretches across rural land as it is built near Cheyenne, Wyo. The $4 billion project will have the capacity to move 1.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.

DENVER -- In the push toward more U.S. energy independence, massive infrastructure projects that will help deliver it have clashed with land-ownership rights.

WANING of the BOOM

WANING of the BOOM
Once the dream factory for 24,000 mobile workers, Fort McMurray's slowdown may be most devastating for the communities across Canada who export them.
GORDON PITTS
December 29, 2008

FORT McMURRAY, ALTA. -- Hungry young tradesmen like Evan Brewer used to be as plentiful on the ground in Fort McMurray as chips at the Boomtown Casino. They'd get off the plane from Atlantic Canada and score big money in the oil sands.

Petro-Canada working on costs (Fort Hills, Montréal Refinery, etc...)

Petro-Canada working on costs
Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post Published: Friday, December 12, 2008

CALGARY -- Petro-Canada is seeing "a pretty good response" as it re-negotiates deals to bring down costs at its delayed Fort Hills oil sands project, Ron Brenneman, chief executive, said Friday.

"I don't know where it will end up or whether it's enough to make a difference in the overall project economics," but costs are moving down and are becoming more predictable, Mr. Brenneman said in an interview.

Workers vote to end 13-month lockout at Petro-Canada refinery (Montréal)

Workers vote to end 13-month lockout at Petro-Canada refinery
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 |
CBC News

Workers at a Petro-Canada refinery in Montreal have voted to accept a new collective agreement, a move that will put an end to a 13-month lockout.

Union officials, representing 260 employees, said Tuesday the agreement was accepted by 94.6 per cent of members. Employees will be back at work Jan. 12.

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