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.
TransCanada told to continue expansion
Oil companies want pipeline built on schedule
Carrie Tait, Financial Post
February 04, 2009
TransCanada Corp., after suggesting in October that it would be willing to delay construction on a pipeline expansion project if its shippers so desired because of the tanking credit and energy markets, immediately took a little heat from its customers.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Peak Oil, And a World On The Brink
By Reggie Abaca, January 29th, 2009
Market Rap
The election of Democrat Barack Obama has managed to calm the wary nerves of those who feared the idea of an expanded worldwide war. There is a sense of calm on that front and an entirely new focus on the devastating economic crisis of today. Even investors in the crude oil (OIL) market are, for now, sitting back and taking a breath, perhaps caught up in the wonder of America's first African American president as they also stand shell-shocked by job losses and miserable economic data.
Canada delusional about oil
Jan 26, 2009 04:30 AM
David Crane
There is this Canadian delusion that the Alberta oil sands will give
us special influence with the new Obama administration, that energy is
our trump card in the Canada-U.S. relationship because, it's argued,
the United States desperately needs our oil. It fosters the false
belief that we can get concessions from the U.S. in other areas by
producing more oil.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has talked of Canada as an "energy
superpower"; Environment Minister Jim Prentice talks of Canada's
This past summer, myself and friends were able to "tour" many of the projects in the Athabasca mining region and south of Fort McMurray (one of many places) where SagD/In Situ operations rule the day. These are albums belatedly created from that trip. This does not comprise anything remotely coming towards an exhaustive set of the multiple projects.
(you do not need to have a Facebook identity to see these albums).
Photos are from the land and the air.
Opti-Nexen's Long Lake (North) Project & CP's Surmont Project.
Canada oil boom shifts on sands of time
Canada's five-year-long energy boom has ended, but how deep and how painful the resulting bust will be remains to be seen.
By The Economist
January 22, 2009
Look west from the office towers of the energy companies that dominate Calgary, and the view is spectacular: Rolling prairies rise to tree-clad foothills, with the jagged, snow-capped peaks of the Rockies on the horizon.
The scale and scope of the political shift in Canada as a result of Ignatieff taking power is not really yet understood.
From ten years ago, where only the Reform Party and then after that, The Alliance, would openly support the US military adventures around the world we now have both the top party and the opposition who are:
Completely pro tar sands, completely pro-Iraq War, unquestioning of Israel and advocates of torture on prisoners.
Definitely the largest of all the SagD plants in operation within Alberta, this plant has now officially begun operations involving "Or Crude"-- a process developed and patented within 1948 conquered Palestine ["Israel"] to reduce energy costs in development of the large oil shale deposits within those borders.
World running out of oil, says ex-CEO
Jim Buckee warns of $20-a-litre fuel
By Richard Foot, Canwest News Service
January 15, 2009
Consumers shouldn't get too comfortable with cheap gasoline, because the planet is running out of oil and prices will go "sky high" --as high as $20 per litre--as petroleum reserves dwindle in the coming years.
That's the view of Jim Buckee, the British oilman who was CEO of Calgary-based Talisman Energy Inc., one of Canada's largest energy producers, from 1993 to 2007.
Suncor shelves expansion amid first loss in 16 years
Falling prices, rising costs prompt cuts
By Dan Healing, Calgary HeraldJanuary 21, 2009
Suncor Energy Inc. is "downing tools" on the $20.6-billion Voyageur expansion underway at its northern Alberta oilsands operations as it reports its first quarterly loss in 16 years, blamed on falling commodity prices, production setbacks and higher costs.
