Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

International oil & gas

Stock markets and global oil interests (including war) would be included here, as would attempts to get oil out of high risk, low return areas from oil shale in Colorado, to natural gas and heavy oil in the high eastern Arctic. The tar sands are part of this trend and should be seen as such. What happens with the tar sands will have a tremendous impact on what kind of choices are made elsewhere, environmentally and socially.

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International Oil & Gas is a category for stories relating to tar sand production or climate change but not in any of the projects already listed geographically. This includes other regions of the planet with horrible environmental and high energy costs that, like the tar sands, are only a "choice" because of high prices and the global depletion of easily recoverable oil reserves. Such issues as the threat of war on Iran, "instability" in Iraq and Venezuela or disasters like Katrina will all drive up oil prices, which in turn doubly encourages tar sand production-- by price demand and energy demand. Stock markets and global oil interests (including war) would be included here, as would attempts to get oil out of high risk, low return areas from oil shale in Colorado, to natural gas and heavy oil in the high eastern Arctic. The tar sands are part of this trend and should be seen as such. What happens with the tar sands will have a tremendous impact on what kind of choices are made elsewhere, environmentally and socially.

After Venezuela, ConocoPhillips May Redouble Canada Efforts

June 26, 2007: 03:37 PM EST

CALGARY -(Dow Jones)- Venezuela's intransigence on its challenging crude-oil projects may send ConocoPhillips' (COP) into the arms of Canada's oil sands.

Venezuela confirmed Tuesday that ConocoPhillips would exit the Orinico river basin, home to ventures that produce low-quality, or heavy, oil, after the Houston-based energy company refused the terms covering a new ownership structure for its projects. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) also said it wasn't able to reach agreement with Venezuela.

Reaganites come to Tar Sands' Defense

The American Conservative movement has started to embrace and defend the tar sands. Delightful to see, considering article like the one below are always a reflection of effectiveness, even if they portend to belittle the very effectiveness we are starting to have.

--M

Tar sands: More oil than Saudi Arabia
Posted: June 16, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56206

Chinese National Petroleum Corp. Admits to Owning leases in Tar Sands

China leases a bit of Alberta's oil patch
State-owned CNPC buys rights to develop oil sands properties

NORVAL SCOTT
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070622.RCNPC22/TPStor...
June 22, 2007

EDMONTON -- In a possible first step toward becoming a producer of Canadian crude, the Chinese National Petroleum Corp., China's largest oil company, revealed yesterday that it has acquired some land in Alberta, with the intention to eventually develop an oil sands project if possible.

Qatar/ Gulf Times on the Tar Sands going International

Canada oil sands lure global majors
Published: Thursday, 21 June, 2007, 01:45 AM Doha Time
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=156432...

FORT MCMURRAY, Canada: With world oil prices hovering at near nine-month highs and global energy firms flush with cash, analysts are predicting that control of Canada’s booming oil sands sector could soon fall into foreign hands.
Foreign bids worth tens of billions dollars are expected in the coming years as global oil companies look for new opportunities, say analysts.

The Pentagon Vs. Peak Oil

How Wars of the Future May Be Fought ...
Just to Run the Machines That Fight Them

by Michael T Klare

WorkingForChange (June 14 2007)

Sixteen gallons of oil. That's how much the average American soldier in
Iraq and Afghanistan consumes on a daily basis - either directly,
through the use of Humvees, tanks, trucks, and helicopters, or
indirectly, by calling in air strikes. Multiply this figure by 162,000
soldiers in Iraq, 24,000 in Afghanistan, and 30,000 in the surrounding
region (including sailors aboard US warships in the Persian Gulf) and

Enbridge CEO Interview: Gateway, China, Canada and more

Enbridge CEO on what's wrong with Canada's DNA
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070611.RDANIEL11/TPSt...
GORDON PITTS

June 11, 2007

CALGARY -- Patrick Daniel has the classic CV of an energy CEO - prairie upbringing, strong engineering education, and a varied career amid the cycles of the oil patch. Now 60 and head of pipeline giant Enbridge Inc., he is a critical link in the supply chain between Canada's oil producers and major North American markets. Mr. Daniel talks about this role, and the challenges in pushing Canadian thinking beyond this continent.

Environmental cost of tar sands too high, U.S. report says

Globe and Mail June 8, 2007
Environmental cost of tar sands too high, U.S. report says
By Bob Weber
Edmonton -- One of the most influential environmental groups in the
United States is training its sights on Alberta's oil sands in an
attempt to persuade Americans to stop increasing their dependence on
"bottom-of-the-barrel" energy.
A report by the Natural Resources Defence Council to be released
Monday at a symposium in Washington, has been obtained by The Canadian
Press. The report potentially damages the market for oil sands oil by

Is Canada the latest emerging petro-tyranny?

Copyright 2007 The Globe and Mail
June 11, 2007 Monday
ANDREW NIKIFORUK
Calgary journalist and columnist for Canadian Business magazine
Is Canada the latest emerging petro-tyranny?

Every day, the First Law of Petropolitics quietly insinuates its way
into the nation's political blood like a rogue parasite. The law,
first coined by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, posits that
the price of oil and the quality of freedom invariably travel in
opposite directions.

As the price of crude oil goes higher in an oil-dominated kingdom,

Global warming is remap-ping the world: UN findings focus on meltdown at poles

Global warming is remap-ping the world
UN findings focus on meltdown at poles
By VIVIAN SONG -- Sun Media
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2007/06/05/4235901-sun.html

Global warming is remap-ping the world at a chilling pace, melting glaciers and permafrost and endangering hundreds of millions of lives, warns the latest UN report released yesterday on the eve of World Environment Day.

The report's findings coincide with this year's theme highlighting the world's poles as the first telltale signs of climate change: Melting Ice: Hot Topic?