At least three tankers loaded with Canadian crude have headed to China since the start of the year, Bloomberg reports , citing shipping data. This is the latest sign of how the oil crisis is changing demand patterns. The usual buyers of Canadian crude are U.S. refineries, but demand has been depressed in the United States. In China, however, it appears to be improving, benefiting the long-suffering Canadian oil industry. Oil sands producers had to shut in about 1 million bpd in oil production amid the latest price crisis, and the survival of some is questionable. The federal government has had to step in with financial support, linking it, however, with climate change commitments. Even with these, the industry and the Alberta government welcomed the aid, which will be made available both for small and large oil companies. “We know that the [financial] need could be great. We’ve seen […]