# TAR-sands - still making the email circuit



## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*By popular request: My fairy godmother column*
Last Updated: September 3, 2010

*Licia Corbella* - Calgary Herald 










*Random snips* - the whole thing is here:
http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/by-popular-request-my-fairy-godmother-column

Today, let’s have some fun and play fairy godmother to Quebec. Let’s grant the province the wish it articulated in Copenhagen. Wave the magic wand and poof, wish granted. Shut down Alberta’s oilsands, except, since it’s Quebec making the wish, we have to call it tarsands, even though it’s not tar they use to run their Bombardier planes, trains and Skidoos. 

... lost jobs in Alberta and across the country along with higher gas prices are a small price to pay to save the world and not “embarrass” Quebecers on the world stage. Not to worry though, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Nigeria can come to the rescue. You know, the guys who pump money into al-Qaeda and help Osama bin Laden target those Van Doos fighting in Afghanistan. Bloody oil is so much nicer than dirty tarsands oil. 

The 530 sq.-km piece of land currently disturbed by the tarsands (which is smaller than the John F. Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida at 570 sq. km) must be reclaimed by law and will return to Alberta’s 381,000 sq. km of boreal forest, a huge carbon sink. Quebec, of course, has clean hydro power, but more than 13,000 sq. km were drowned for the James Bay hydroelectric project, permanently removing that forest from acting as a carbon sink. 

In 2009, Albertans paid $40.46 billion in income, corporate and other taxes to the federal government and received back just $19.35 billion in services and goods from the feds. That means the rest of Canada got $21.1 billion from Albertans or $5,742 for each and every Alberta man, woman and child. In 2007 (the last year national figures are available), Alberta sent a net contribution of $19.49 billion to the ROC or $5,553 per Albertan — more than three times what every Ontarian contributes at $1,757. Quebecers, on the other hand, each received $627 net or a total of $8 billion, money which was designed to help “equalize” social programs across the country. Except, that’s not what’s happening. Quebec has more generous social programs, like (nearly) free university tuition (paid for mostly by Albertans) and cheap provincial day care (paid for mostly by Albertans). 

~~~~~//~~~~~
End snipping.
Dear Licia,
Please do another update now that RoC can feel superior to Albertans, because, like - we're done eh? [/sarc]


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*Who's Gonna Farm Your Oil* by Roustabout of LaScie, NL 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhShLClviFE


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*Cheap fuel = gratuitous consumption = rising oil prices.*
~ https://twitter.com/Resource_Works


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Problem is the world needs oil............but it doesn't have to be Canadian oil.

We are located too far away from other major world markets except for the US, who are themselves becoming self sufficient and less dependent on imported oil.

Alberta oil sands is among the most expensive oil in the world to recover, and cost of production doesn't dictate price when ME oil is produced for 1/10th the cost.

Canada's competitors produce it cheaper, are closer to their major markets and have infrastructure to transport the oil. 

Alternative energy sources continue to be developed.

Solar energy production has surpassed coal production...........and alternative energy will surpass oil production in the future.

Canada has to look ahead to the future...........not go forward looking in the rear view mirror.

Oil production is still crucial to Canada, but we need to start thinking about when it won't be as crucial for our customers.

At the rate of technology advancement........what does energy supply look like in 20 - 30 - 40 years ?

Wood.......whale oil........kerosene..........coal.........oil........... ?


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## GPM (Jan 23, 2015)

I'm with above. I couldn't care less about the coke head teenagers making a hundred grand a year in the tar sands. It's an enviromenal disaster. Have you seen Ariel shots. I lived in sask. when uranium shut down. We survived. Becoming oil
dependent is making us a third world country. We barely even refine it. Put 4 candu reactors in sask, mine the best uranium in the world, refine it, run a gigantic extension cord to California, and charge them to store the depleted uranium in the holes we took it out of. Drive electric cars, and watch the money pore in. Bye bye Alberta! Electric cars are here to stay. I now live in BC. What we really need is the inevitable oil spill to ruin the most beautiful area in Canada. Sorry, for being so blunt. I'm a very nice person.


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## GPM (Jan 23, 2015)

Sure wish albertans would ride their high horses down to the states where they belong. They sure weren't complaining when Ontario was the economic driver in Canada.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

GPM said:


> ... They sure weren't complaining when Ontario was the economic driver in Canada.


Not really true. Albertan have complained about the economic and political power of Ontario/Quebec since the province was created. Often with good cause.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Canada has taken far more out of Alberta than they have put in. That is the price of Confederation and it is well worth the price. But the facts cannot be disputed.

Same for a few other provinces. That is why for many years there was so much resentment of the Eastern banks.


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## GPM (Jan 23, 2015)

Fraser, I can believe that! I'm only a certain age and remember an energy act of some kind. A voice of reason too when it comes to confederation. We truly are one of, if not the greatest country in the world. Intraprovincial politics are always controversial and counterproductive! My wife is South African. It's one country. They have provinces but they have no power. Of course besides wine all the wealth comes from Gauteng Province (Johannesburg). Yet no one complains. Thats how it should be in a united nation that works in everyone's best interest!


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

GPM said:


> Drive electric cars, and watch the money pore in. Bye bye Alberta! Electric cars are here to stay. I now live in BC. What we really need is the inevitable oil spill to ruin the most beautiful area in Canada. Sorry, for being so blunt. I'm a very nice person.


You might be nice but are uninformed...perhaps check out the environmental disaster occurring in Mongolia due to initial electric car production...I know...it's just Mongolians and their country dieing, but I guess its not as important to Canadians as Neil Young crying "HIROSHIMA" just to get into Daryl Hannah's pants


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## GPM (Jan 23, 2015)

Eder said:


> You might be nice but are uninformed...perhaps check out the environmental disaster occurring in Mongolia due to initial electric car production...I know...it's just Mongolians and their country dieing, but I guess its not as important to Canadians as Neil Young crying "HIROSHIMA" just to get into Daryl Hannah's pants


Way too true Eder. I was unaware of Mongolia, but in some ways, I'm too informed. India is in the same position. Taking care of our batteries and asbestos (deconstructing the worlds ships, including oil tankers - loaded with asbestos). There is one area where the life expectancy is 40 years old due to cancer because they tear the ships apart by hand without protection. And that's if they aren't crushed, maimed or sliced by debri. Huge supporter of the third world, as been many times. Unfortunately limited areas. People never think of what happened after Erin Brokovich kicked the battery contruction/destruction out of USA. It didn't stop, it went third world. I was also shocked the other day. Teenage shirts for $10, not on sale. Surely being made by someone younger than them. Anyhoo, reslistically, no useful source of energy will every be clean, unfortunately. Pity about Mongolia. Lucky to be born in the G7 and its reinforced everyday by the news. You are very informed, by the way, as our govts tend to hide these things from the general public. Where did you come across this? It certainly slipped by me. Back on subject, admittedly electric cars may be a bad example (although definitely on the way),but I do know a public servant out here who's official position is a pipeline won't leak. Sadly not his personal opinion.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

The BBC is a decent source of real news still,unlike the CBC , Globe etc. Al Jazera is pretty decent imo as well. Both have reported on Mongolia in the past.


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## GPM (Jan 23, 2015)

Eder said:


> The BBC is a decent source of real news still,unlike the CBC , Globe etc. Al Jazera is pretty decent imo as well. Both have reported on Mongolia in the past.


Hi Eder,
On a personal note I get all my info from seeing first hand, documentaries, and university (not necessarily unbiased). I used to have BBC before kids and liked it, but how in the world did you get Al Jeezera? I'd be afraid of being on a watch list! I've always felt if a person read or watched it and western news, a person would be getting the actual the truth, not just North American centred news ie the effects of our excessive lifestyles as you mentioned.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

"G-7 leaders are promising an end to fossil fuels by the *year 2100*, while CAPP is projecting a drop in Canadian oil production in the next decade. 
Business commentator *Deborah Yedlin* joins us with her analysis of the promises and predictions."

7 minute audio:
http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/columnists/business/2015/06/10/deborah-yedlin-on-the-g-7s-2100-pledge/









https://twitter.com/ddyedlin


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*What is Canada's and the Oilsands share of global greenhouse gas emissions?* 










source: https://twitter.com/AlbertaPlus


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

> Over the past 14 years or more, aboriginal companies in the *oil sands region* have earned more than $8 billion in revenue.
> Canada-wide, a number of institutions including TD Bank see First Nations becoming economically stronger in future as a result of resource prosperity.
> 
> http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/why-canada-should-be-worlds-choice-energy-exporter


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*"All of these countries export oil to the USA. 
So why is Canada the only country opposed by special Interest groups?"*










source: https://twitter.com/OilsandsAction


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

source: https://twitter.com/OilsandsAction


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## fatcat (Nov 11, 2009)

thanks for those zylon, keep em coming


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

fatcat said:


> ... keep em coming


*Alrighty then!*










source: https://twitter.com/OilsandsAction


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*Election 2015 Issues*

Canada's Oil Sands Explained (minute and a half)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5XGcaR1tZg

Maybe in a few decades, our gran'chillun will take the 3-day tour of "once booming Ft Mac oil sands".










image source: http://www.selectsmart.com/DISCUSS/read.php?16,874330,874362


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

^ That picture isn't from the Canadian oil sands FYI. That bucketwheel is way bigger than anything we've ever used.

That technology hasn't been used for decades either. Replaced by Trucks and hydraulic/electric shovels. The only bucketwheels still around are either museum pieces or scrap.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

> *That bucketwheel is way bigger than anything we've ever used.*


Yep, yep! Had it confused with this one which is a museum piece at Suncor, I believe.










image source: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/mic...own-tar-sands-and-children-we-have-never-seen


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*bumping an old thread*

*Brian Holdsworth* has a lot more patience re this topic than I have ever been able to muster.


> Published on Dec 16, 2016
> #Canada's Prime Minister, Justin #Trudeau, is introducing a #Carbon #Tax to try to offset our #emissions. Is this really the best answer we can come up with against the threat of #Climate Change? How much of this solution is based on politics vs. an actual healthy and balanced approach to pollution and co2 emissions? Because I don't know enough about this subject to answer these questions, I'd love to hear your take? Should Canada be introducing a Carbon Tax? What about in places like Alberta where Oil is the fundamental driving force of our economy. When we're already suffering a recession, and rising unemployment, is it wise to hit tax payers with increased costs?


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

Anti-Pipeline Activism Funded By Tides in 2015

"In 2015, The Tides Foundation, based in San Francisco, continued to forward money to a team of environmental and First Nations organizations involved in its *anti-pipeline Tar Sands Campaign against Alberta oil.* By my analysis of the tax return filed by Tides for 2015, *Tides paid at least CAN $4 million* to more than 50 organizations involved in this campaign in the U.S. and Canada."
~Vivian Krause

-the list is here > http://fairquestions.typepad.com/re...-pipeline-groups-funded-by-tides-in-2015.html


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*http://globalnews.ca/*



> *Helicopter pilot opens up about Jane Fonda’s oilsands tour: ‘she was being given so much misinformation’*


_“To pick on Fort McMurray is ridiculous because, if you look at other oil-producing nations around the world like Venezuela, Russia, China, they have no environmental standards. But we’re a really easy whipping boy because you can come to Canada, be treated nice, talk to media. You aren’t arrested, you don’t disappear, we’re just too nice I think is the problem.”_
~*Paul Spring*, Jane Fonda's chopper pilot.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3180460/h...r-she-was-being-given-so-much-misinformation/


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Yes, good counter to the crap coming from JF's mouth and others like her.
I have to admit that I was impressed by Notley's response as well.
_“I would suggest that dining out on your celebrity is something that one ought to also pair with knowledge and research and she failed to do that and I don’t think as a result that much of her intervention requires or deserves the air time it’s getting because it’s very clear she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”_


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

h/t @PremierBradWall


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

Zylon...I think we need to send you to the "Centre of the Universe" and lobby our "Supreme Hairdo" on behalf of all his serfs hewing wood here in Alberta.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

The thing is, if we had only heeded Peter Lougheed's admonition to "go slow", all this commotion would have been avoided, and hardly anyone would know or care a thing about Alberta oilsands.

*six principles for developing resources*
- some snips - full article at the link.

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/09/17/Radical-Peter-Lougheed/

*1. Behave like an owner*
As oil prices shot up from $2 to $25 a barrel in the 1970s Lougheed learned that Albertans, the lucky occupiers of much oil real estate, needed to think and behave like owners. Ownership, of course, came with onerous responsibilities ...

*2. Collect your fair share*
Smart owners don't give away oil or any other depletable resource. Lougheed thought that low royalties were not only bad for the owner but encouraged ...

*3. Save for a rainy day*
In the 1970s Lougheed, a long-term thinker, established one of the world's first sovereign funds or rainy day accounts. Given the finite nature of oil and gas, he believed in saving at least 30 per cent of the wealth for ...

*4. Add value*
Lougheed was never impressed by the convenient Canadian habit of exporting raw resources without adding value. In his reading of the nation's history, Canada should have made clothing instead of ...

*5. Go slow*
Last but not least, Lougheed often lamented the speed of bitumen development in the province. His motto was "one project at a time." ...

*6. Practice statecraft*
Unlike most modern politicians, Lougheed believed in competent government and a smart civil service and for good reason. Sitting on a pile of hydrocarbons has never made a people smart. ...



image hosting 10mb limit


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## twa2w (Mar 5, 2016)

Interesting thread. Some random thoughts
Electric cars are nice but electricity has to be generated some how. There is currently no clean source of electricity, nor enough electric power to charge all the batteries that would be needed if all cars became electric. We have very few rivers we can add hydro generation to. Daming them destroys forests (carbon sink) and causes mercury pollution. Wind power kills huge amount of birds and is unreliable. Solar is nice but look at the manufacture of cells and the issues in rare metals. Nuclear has disposal problems etcetc. Turbines have to be built.
Electric cars also need lubricants for bearings etc., the plastics etc need petrochemicals for feedstock.
How soon can we develop batteries powerful enough to run trains, cranes, construction, mining and farm equipment and then run charging stations to construction sites and mining locations. What about the pollution to produce, recycle batteries.
If I took everything out of your house/life that required petrochemicals at some stage, how much do you think you would have left.? And how soon do you think we could replace that with alternatives.
So your house and 99% of its contents would disappear. Your car, bike and your clothes would be gone. The roads would be gone.

I think we are stuck with petrochemicals long past 2100.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Zylon, I can't believe you would ever post Nikiforuk. He belongs in the garbage bin.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

twa2w said:


> Interesting thread. Some random thoughts
> Electric cars are nice but ....


You can add the fact that we are a northern country with something called winter. Until there is a major breakthrough in low-temperature battery technology, all-electric cars will have little practical application in Canada outside of the BC lower mainland and Vancouver Island. Hybrids are more likely to sell here.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

zylon said:


> _“To pick on Fort McMurray is ridiculous because, if you look at other oil-producing nations around the world like Venezuela, Russia, China, they have no environmental standards. But we’re a really easy whipping boy because you can come to Canada, be treated nice, talk to media. You aren’t arrested, you don’t disappear, we’re just too nice I think is the problem.”_
> ~*Paul Spring*, Jane Fonda's chopper pilot.
> 
> http://globalnews.ca/news/3180460/h...r-she-was-being-given-so-much-misinformation/


I assume JF rode up to Canada on her bicycle, and rented a wind-powered helicopter.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*https://www.facebook.com/pg/OilSandsAction/photos/?tab=album&album_id=704958066296742*



free picture upload


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

As usual you don't disappoint zylon...now if some liberal media could pick up a few of the facts about our oilsands...of course they'd probably complain about the black flies if they took that pic.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

There are other opinions on the success of reclamation.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/oilsands-reclamation-a-failure-says-ecologist-1.3156500

According to this researcher and many others, the land is left contaminated after strip mining and it is mostly weeds that grow in it.

Perhaps the solution lies not in trying to reclaim the land to where it was, but to simply convert the land into something that is possible.

As farmer's have long known, once you cultivate natural land it is almost impossible to restore the land back to the original status.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Thinking outside the box, if the land can't be restored back to it's full natural state, why not re-purpose the land into thousands of miles of trails for ATVs, snowmobiles, cycling, cross country skiing for tourism. 

Ontario's Elliot Lake region (former uranium mining area) is an example of where this has been done to some success.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*O/T but this too good not to post*

Assuming it isn't _fake news_;

*Auroras in Yellowknife* from reddit dot com.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

> why not re-purpose the land into thousands of miles of trails for ATVs, snowmobiles ...


Okay, fine. 
As long as they're solar powered, the chassis are made from hemp, and the wheels/tracks are made of wood.

10 X STRONGER THAN STEEL IN THE 1940’S: HENRY FORD’S HEMP CAR.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*Is OPEC still a thing? (short video linked below)*

"Canadian oil imports surged to their highest levels in four years in 2016 as a combination of primarily American and OPEC barrels sailed into Eastern Canadian refineries."

http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/n...und-in-2016-as-u-s-producers-seek-new-markets

Geoffrey Morgan
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017

Snip:

"TransCanada Corp. has proposed a $15.7-billion, 1.1-million-bpd pipeline called Energy East between Alberta and New Brunswick to boost Canadian oil exports and eliminate the need for foreign oil imports, but that pipeline is waiting for regulatory approval and isn’t expected to be in service until 2021 at the earliest.

However, University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe said Energy East won’t necessarily displace all of those imported barrels in Eastern Canada.

“The refineries in the East may choose to make the investment to upgrade their equipment to process heavier oil but it’s a business decision – it may make sense or it may not,” Tombe said. “It may be that the bulk of the oil on Energy East may be exported abroad.”


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*source: CalgaryHerald.com*


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*CalgaryHerald.com*

*"Canadian companies dominate oilsands as international players head for exit"*

Chris Varcoe
Published on: March 9, 2017

http://calgaryherald.com/business/e...lsands-as-international-players-head-for-exit

A few snips from the article:


Already one of the country’s largest producers, Canadian Natural Resources will acquire a 70-per-cent stake in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project, a large mining development in northern Alberta, and in the Scotford upgrader north of Edmonton.

Once the deal is completed, the Calgary-based company will see its production catapulted above one million barrels of oil equivalent per day ...

Global energy companies that flocked to the oilsands last decade to boost their reserves are now more centred on profitability; many are shifting investments to developments with shorter cycle times, such as shale oil and gas.

Canadian Natural will add about 3,100 employees from Shell and Marathon, including 2,760 at the oilsands mines and another 230 based in Calgary. Crothers said he doesn’t expect many layoffs from the sale.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*"1 employee injured in explosion and fire at Syncrude upgrader north of Fort McMurray"*

By Emily Mertz
March 14, 2017 4:57 pm

http://globalnews.ca/news/3309676/f...facility-north-of-fort-mcmurray/?sf62451659=1


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*"Syncrude determines cause of oilsands facility fire, maintains ‘controlled burn’*

By Emily Mertz
March 15, 2017

http://globalnews.ca/news/3311747/s...assessing-damage-after-fire-at-oilsands-site/

A few quotes from the article.


Syncrude spokesman Will Gibson said a line failure that caused treated naptha to leak sparked the fire. Naptha is one of three hydrocarbons created in the bitumen-upgrading process. The fire started in plant 13-1, where hydrogen is added to product.

Gibson said the fire is still burning but emergency responders are managing it as a controlled burn to burn off residual hydrocarbons.

The injured Syncrude employee is in hospital with family members and is receiving treatment.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*"Alberta’s mass exodus of multinational oil companies continues"*

March 30, 2017 / James Rose / 54 Comments

http://boereport.com/2017/03/30/albertas-mass-exodus-of-multinational-oil-companies-continues/

"Since 2014, there have been fourteen massive deals done by multinationals to leave Alberta’s energy industry. Deal size for each of the fourteen has been valued at anywhere from half a billion dollars to yesterday’s largest yet of close to $20 billion."

(...)

"Of course the entire oil industry has been hit the hard, but why have multinationals left Alberta and western Canada when, concurrently, they have maintained (and in some cases increased) operational activity in other parts of the world? There are three reasons for this: higher operating costs, limited access to markets for their product and an unfriendly political climate."

Lots more than just those two snips.

The comments are more entertaining than an hour spent polishing silver.

Myrtle: "But you aren't suppose to* polish silver."

NOW she tells me!

* she's from Ontario.









https://twitter.com/codyincalgary


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

https://twitter.com/OilsandsAction


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*This must be an ONION article?*

Nope, I checked; apparently it's for real.

Anti-Pipes-R-Us - "we needs gas money - puleeeeez" (paraphrased).

http://standingrockfactchecker.org/pipeline-protesters-ask-gas/

Posted on April 3, 2017

"Anti-pipeline activists rallying against the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines are asking their Facebook followers to donate money for gas, so they can travel to and from meetings and protests."

“We seriously need gas money,” wrote the Wakpa Waste Pow Wow Grounds Camp on March 26, “We go to meetings over an hour away .. we need gas cards.”


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