Social Impacts

Imperial's March Optimistic on Mackenzie Prospects

By Reg Curren

Sept. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Imperial Oil Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Bruce March, head of Canada's largest oil company, said he's the most optimistic he has been in the past five years about the chances of the Mackenzie gas pipeline proceeding.

Recent comments from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is seeking re-election on Oct. 14, have boosted Imperial's confidence for the C$16.2 billion ($15.2 billion) project to proceed, March said at a Toronto investor conference today.

Oilsands fatality raising eyebrows
By KEVIN CRUSH, SUN MEDIA

The second fatal incident on the Horizon oilsands project in less than two years has officials raising eyebrows.

Richard Boyd Boughner, 47, of Love, Sask., was killed Wednesday when the floating backhoe he was operating flipped in a tailings pond at the Horizon site north of Fort McMurray.

On April 4, 2007, a tank collapse on the sprawling site killed two foreign workers from China.

Explosions in Metro Vancouver 'rare'
Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun // Wednesday, August 13, 2008

METRO VANCOUVER - Propane tanks, underground gas pipes, and trains and transport trucks rolling through Metro Vancouver all pose the risk of an explosion similar to the one that rocked Toronto last weekend.

Metro officials say although there is always a risk, it's low because the industry here is so strictly regulated.

As well, the fallout would likely not be as widespread because most oil and gas facilities are located in industrial areas away from residential neighbourhoods.

This project should likely become a lightening rod against Sag-D production as it is also one of the dirtiest in history, as it uses a gunk it calls "asphaltene"-- the left over crap from the Sag-D project. This produces vastly higher GG emissions, which are already on average 3-4 times higher than in regular oil in tar sands production, and slightly more in Sg-D production. This plant is only 8 kilometers from the indigenous and Metis settlement of Anzac.

--M

Long Lake tar sands project on track for first production later this month

September 2, 2008 - 21:58

The energy industry's Mediterranean love affair
Eni's purchase of First Calgary Petroleums is another sign of the sector's plans for Algeria and Libya. And the competition is heating up
ERIC REGULY // Globe and Mail
September 9, 2008

ROME — Algeria and Libya have gone from no-go countries to the hottest of the oil and gas hot spots in only a few years.

What $300-a-Barrel Oil Will Mean for You
Charles Maxwell, Senior Energy Analyst, Weeden & Co.
By LAWRENCE C. STRAUSS
AN INTERVIEW WITH CHARLES MAXWELL: He correctly predicted the recent price spike -- and he sees an eventual move to around $300 a barrel.

An urban legend to comfort America: crash programs will solve Peak Oil
Fabius Maximus

This is the second post in a series examining “urban legends” about energy that comfort Americans. Here we discuss the first of four comforting myths about unconventional and alternative energy sources. These are excuses for not doing the hard work of gathering information, analysis, planning, and executing programs necessary to prepare for the multi-decade transition through peak oil to the next era (whatever that will be). These four myths are:

Shell puts cork in methane-drilling plans - for now
Company agrees to speak with Tahltan about natives' concerns about impact of project on northwestern B.C.
WENDY STUECK

September 6, 2008

VANCOUVER -- Shell Canada Ltd. has temporarily shelved its plans to drill for coal-bed methane in northwestern British Columbia, delaying work for at least one more season and highlighting concerns over the potential impact of the projects in the remote wilderness area.

Will oilsands tar Winter Games?
The Edmonton Journal
Tuesday, August 19

Canadian officials surveying the Beijing Olympics must be paying special attention to the myriad protests and criticisms -- some overdrawn and overwrought -- that have dogged China before and during the Games. If they are wise, our observers should fight the temptation to feel smugly superior.

Canada Stocks Slump Most Since January on Oil; Suncor Drops

By John Kipphoff

Sept. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian stocks tumbled the most in seven months, as the biggest commodity sell-off since March dragged down oil and metal producers in the Standard & Poor's/TSX Composite Index by almost 6 percent.

Suncor Energy Inc. dropped the most in at least 15 years, leading the biggest one-day decline in energy shares since November 2001. Goldcorp Inc. slipped to a four-week low, sending raw-materials shares to the index's steepest retreat.