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Harper Sees Keystone Approval, With or Without Obama

As far as Stephen Harper is concerned, history and economics carry far more weight in Canada-U.S. relations than whoever happens to occupy the White House at a given moment. That’s why Canada ’s prime minister remains relatively unperturbed about the drawn-out Keystone XL pipeline review, maintaining its approval is “inevitable.” In a wide-ranging interview on energy policy in his Ottawa office last month, Harper described how historical and economic forces and broad-based support for resource development determine whether projects like Keystone get built, rather than short-term political calculations. If Barack Obama doesn’t approve the pipeline, another president will. “It is, in my judgment, a necessary and inevitable victory,” Harper said in a Jan. 16 interview as he awaited a State Department environmental assessment of the project. “I absolutely believe that. I can’t see how it will be otherwise.” Moving Crude Through the […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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A pipeline runs through it

MINUTES after America’s State Department declared on January 31st that a proposed cross-border oil-pipeline would have little environmental impact, Canada’s ruling Conservatives posted an online ad bluntly directing Barack Obama to “approve Keystone XL now”. It is not the first time that Canada has dropped the diplomatic niceties when pressing Mr Obama to approve the Keystone pipeline, which would carry crude from Alberta’s tar sands to refineries on the Texas coast. Stephen Harper, Canada’s prime minister, has previously threatened to sell the oil to Asia, called approval a “no-brainer” and insisted he “would not take no for an answer”. But Mr Obama seems to be in no rush. Developing the tar sands and exporting its oil is a priority for Mr Harper, whose political roots lie in energy-rich Alberta. The pipeline, which would carry up to 730,000 barrels a day (b/d) of Alberta crude and an additional 100,000 b/d […]

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Suncor Results Miss Expectations, Co. Cuts Production View, Raises Dividend

Suncor Energy Inc. ‘s fourth-quarter results missed expectations, and it cut its outlook for production this year due to lower projected output overseas even as its oil-sands production hit a record high. Canada’s biggest oil and gas company by market capitalization also announced some shareholder-friendly moves, including a 15% increase in its quarterly dividend and an expanded share buyback. Suncor had fourth-quarter net income of 443 million Canadian dollars ($399 million), or 30 Canadian cents a share, compared with a loss of C$574 million, or 38 Canadian cents, a year earlier. Year-earlier results included an impairment charge of close to C$1.5 billion related to its Voyageur upgrader project in Alberta. The latest results included C$340 million in impairment charges and other items, mostly related to Suncor’s operational limbo in Libya and Syria. Operating earnings slipped 1.5% to C$973 million, or 66 Canadian cents a share, in the fourth […]

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New study suggests reported PAH emissions in oil sands region greatly underestimated

« New study suggests reported PAH emissions in oil sands region greatly underestimated Results from a new modeling assessment of contamination in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) suggest that officially reported emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in that region have been greatly underestimated. The study, which was carried out by University of Toronto Scarborough Environmental Chemistry professor Frank Wania and his PhD candidate Abha Parajulee, is published as an open access paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science . We sought to use a dynamic multimedia environmental fate model to reconcile the emissions and residue levels reported for three representative PAHs in the AOSR. Data describing emissions to air compiled from two […]

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US, Canadian transportation boards want tougher oil-by-rail rules

In an unprecedented move, the US and Canadian national transportation boards simultaneously called for tougher regulations covering shipments of crude oil by rail. “The large-scale shipment of crude oil by rail simply didn’t exist 10 years ago, and our safety regulations need to catch up with this new reality,” US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Deborah A.P. Hersman said in Washington, DC. “While this energy boom is good for business, the people and the environment along rail corridors must be protected from harm,” she said. In its announcement, NTSB said crude oil shipments by rail have increased more than 400% since 2005, according to the Association of American Railroads’ Annual Report of Hazardous Materials. The independent federal agency said it is concerned that lives can be lost, property damaged, and the environment harmed when large volumes of crude or other flammable liquids are transported on a single train […]

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Alberta Looks Past Hurdles to Asian Crude Buyers

B The government of Canada’s oil-rich Alberta province isn’t getting hung up on hurdles in the way of getting its crude to markets in Asia. The hurdles are manifold, but slowing demand from its traditional market doesn’t justify the expense of extracting and refining oil sands, making Asia its best hope for exploiting bitumen, its particular brand of heavy crude oil, for profit. The most daunting problem at hand is the lack of a pipeline to get Alberta’s oil to port. The payoff is that Asia is projected to be the biggest growth market for energy over the next couple of decades. “We’ve clearly identified Asia as a priority market,” Alberta’s Minister […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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TransCanada Gulf Pipe Start Opens Path for Canada Crude

TransCanada Corp. (TRP) started moving crude on its Gulf Coast Pipeline, opening up a pathway for more Canadian oil to reach U.S. refineries. The Gulf Coast line, also known as the southern leg of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, was initially flowing at 288,000 barrels a day and transporting entirely U.S. light, sweet oil to Nederland, Texas , from Cushing, Oklahoma . It will ramp up over the course of the year toward its 700,000-barrel capacity and carry more heavy crude from Canadian oil sands formations, executives said in a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Calgary. “Refiners couldn’t access lower-cost domestic production and were forced to pay a premium to ship crude from foreign suppliers,” TransCanada Chief Executive Russ Girling said. “The Gulf Coast project will change that.” The $2.3 billion (C$2.55 billion) Gulf Coast line was split apart from the larger Keystone XL project in 2012 […]

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Harper Says Keystone Consultations Signal Obama Punting

Canada is urging President Barack Obama ’s administration to make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline amid signs of further delays in a final ruling on the $5.4-billion project. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in an interview yesterday the U.S. move to seek more public comment suggests Obama’s government may postpone a decision further, while Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird called on the U.S. to end the “state of limbo” over the project. “How much consultation do you need to do?” Harper said in an interview in his Ottawa office. “It’s clearly another punt.” The U.S. State Department will give the public a second opportunity to comment on the pipeline after an environmental impact review is complete, according to an agency official who spoke on condition of anonymity this week. The agency hasn’t said how long it would accept public comments, though adding that step could delay a […]

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Trans Mountain oil pipeline may face public scrutiny

Canada’s energy regulator called for interested parties to apply to take part in a hearing on the expansion of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline. Pipeline company Kinder Morgan wants to spend more than $5 billion to twin the existing pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia, which would double the corridor’s capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil per day. It submitted an application to Canada’s National Energy Board in December and the NEB said the application process was now open to those wishing to take part in a hearing on the project. "The NEB is reviewing the application to determine if it is complete and if so, the NEB will hold a public hearing," the regulator said Wednesday. "Those who wish to participate in the NEB hearing must apply to participate." Advocacy groups in British Columbia have expressed concern about the potential environmental threat […]

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TransCanada Will Look At Rail If Keystone Rejected

The chief executive of TransCanada said Wednesday if the Obama administration doesn’t approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline his company will look to the more dangerous alternative of building build rail terminals in Alberta and Oklahoma. President Barack Obama is expected to decide early this year on Keystone XL, which is under review at the State Department. The long-delayed pipeline would carry oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. TransCanada CEO Russ Girling said pipelines are "by far a safer alternative" to oil trains but said if customers want him to build rail terminals he will. He said he’s in discussions with oil and rail companies. Concerns have been raised about the increasing use of rail to transport oil throughout North America. A number of recent derailments have worried both officials and residents close to rail lines. In July, 47 people were killed in Lac-Megantic, […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple