Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Peak Oil

Peak Oil is starting to be understood across a broad spectrum, but the direct connection between peak oil, climate change and the American market-led attempt to squeeze all energy out of Alberta cannot be overstated. The smaller the global supply of oil gets, the more CO2 has been emitted and the more climate change will have advanced. This leads to more interest in the tar sands—because the profit margin goes ever higher the fewer alternatives there are for petroleum. Without Peak Oil bearing down on humanity, no economical reason would exist to produce this energy intensive, low-output petrol.

warning: Creating default object from empty value in /var/www/drupal-6.28/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc on line 33.

Peak Oil is starting to be understood across a broad spectrum, but the direct connection between peak oil, climate change and the American market-led attempt to squeeze all energy out of Alberta cannot be overstated. The smaller the global supply of oil gets, the more CO₂ has been emitted and the more climate change will have advanced. This leads to more interest in the tar sands—because the profit margin goes ever higher the fewer alternatives there are for petroleum. Without Peak Oil bearing down on humanity, no economical reason would exist to produce this energy intensive, low-output petrol.

IEA still sees major role for Canadian tar sands

IEA still sees major role for Canadian oil sands

Peter O’Neil, Canwest News Europe Correspondent, Canwest News Service
Monday, June 29, 2009

The Canadian oil sands “appears to be the sector hardest hit by the recession and the sharp fall in oil prices,” the Paris-based agency said in a report assessing the impact of the economic crisis on the world’s oil and gas supplies.

PARIS -- The Canadian oil sands sector is "down but not out" in its role as a major and secure safety net in the global energy market, the International Energy Agency reported Monday.

Proposed law would allow co-operation in energy purchasing (Tar Sands)

Proposed law would allow co-operation in energy purchasing

Energy firms would be able to consult each other on project timing, to allow them to balance spending and help prevent cost overruns.

NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE

CALGARY —
Tuesday, Jun. 30, 2009
Globe and Mail.

Canada's energy giants could be allowed to consult each other on new oil sands projects, a key change that would give them greater purchasing power to help prevent cost overruns and speed construction timelines.

Peak Oil And World Food Supplies

Peak Oil And World Food Supplies
By Peter Goodchild
29 June, 2009
Countercurrents.org

Only about 10 percent of the world’s land surface is arable, whereas the other 90 percent is just rock, sand, or swamp, which can never be made to produce crops, whether we use “high” or “low” technology or something in the middle. In an age with diminishing supplies of oil and other fossil fuels, this 10:90 ratio may be creating two gigantic problems that have been largely ignored.

Shell To Become Most CO2-Intensive Oil Co -Study

UPDATE: Shell To Become Most CO2-Intensive Oil Co -Study

LONDON (Dow Jones)--Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) is on track to become the most carbon intensive international oil company because of its focus on unconventional oil resources like Canadian tar sands, said a study published by a coalition of environmental groups Monday.

"In the age of carbon reduction, Shell is fast heading in the opposite direction, massively increasing the carbon intensity of its production of oil and gas," the report said. "This represents a real risk for Shell, for investors and for the climate."

BP shuts alternative energy HQ

• 'Beyond Petroleum' boast in doubt as clean energy boss quits
• Renewables budget will be reduced by up to £550m this year
Terry Macalister
Guardian.co.uk,
Sunday 28 June 2009

BP has shut down its alternative energy headquarters in London, accepted the resignation of its clean energy boss and imposed budget cuts in moves likely to be seen by environmental critics as further signs of the oil group moving "back to petroleum".

China's unquenchable thirst for oil

China's unquenchable thirst for oil
Despite recession, the Chinese are aggressively pursuing energy assets

Shawn McCarthy and Eric Reguly

Ottawa, Rome — Globe and Mail
Jun. 27, 2009

A refinery in Singapore. Oil and gas fields in Central Asia. A pipeline in Russia. Ultradeep crude deposits off Brazil. Production wells in Libya.

And now Toronto-listed Addax Petroleum Corp., (AXC-T49.930.180.36%) with its oil fields in western Africa and Iraq's Kurdistan.

Which Matters Most? The Size of the Tap or the Tank?

Which Matters Most? The Size of the Tap or the Tank?
Scitizen // Kurt Cobb
22 Jun, 2009

Energy optimists are fond of citing very large numbers for worldwide fossil fuel resources such as oil and natural gas. But they conveniently leave out the critical variable. How fast can we actually produce these resources?

What’s the Real Story Behind the Alaska Pipeline?

What’s the Real Story Behind the Alaska Pipeline?
Written by Ruedigar Matthes
Published on June 18th, 2009
Posted in Climate Change, Editor's Choice, Natural Resources

With the spotlight shining on clean energy, the stage has been set for the U.S. to rid itself of a harmful addiction to foreign oil. The stars are aligned and the cards have been dealt. Soon we’ll have kicked the dirty habit, right?

"Exxon-TransCan Alaska gas line push sends tremor through Mackenzie ranks"

It should be noted that this article posits that the MGP and Alaska Highway gas lines are competing-- more blather aimed at garnering concessions and subsidies from governments, etc. The reality is that the goal of five million barrels a day of tar sands bitumen extraction-- now said to be in line to happen by 2035-- cannot take place without all the MGP gas and most of the Alaskan. Math is not a debatable point.

--M

---
Who’s on first?

Exxon-TransCan Alaska gas line push sends tremor through Mackenzie ranks

By Gary Park
Week of June 21, 2009
For Petroleum News

Exxon boosts pipeline to tar sands by 50% (more access for Texas, Louisiana Refineries)

Exxon boosts pipeline to oil sands by 50%
Joe Carroll, Bloomberg
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's biggest oil refiner, boosted its capacity to transport crude from Canada's oil sands to refineries in Texas and Louisiana.

Exxon Mobil increased the capacity of its 1,381-kilometre Pegasus Pipeline by 50% to about 96,000 barrels a day, the Irving, Tex.-based company said Wednesday in a statement.