Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Labour / Migration

It is falsely assumed that big projects equal lots of jobs and, by extension, labour peace if not outright satisfaction. The size and scope of the tarsands means for incredibly dangerous work conditions-- some fatalities at the plants have already occurred. The products seldom get their "value added" in union-run locations, instead the heavy bitumen can be shipped to many different locations across North America for refining, denying benefits to the union. However, the Union does not represent the "guest worker", now being imported in increasing numbers as legislation is changed to make access easier, the term of exploitation last longer, without any new efforts or pathways to deciding to stay after helping tear up the earth.

warning: Creating default object from empty value in /var/www/drupal-6.28/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc on line 33.

The great pipeline battle [The Economist]

Energy in Canada
The great pipeline battle
The energy industry and Stephen Harper’s government try to ensure tar-sands oil gets to market

May 26th 2012 | OTTAWA
The Economist

First barrels of Jordanian oil shale expected this year

First barrels of Jordanian oil shale expected this year
by Taylor Luck | May 08,2012 |

DEAD SEA — An Estonian-Jordanian firm is set to pump the first ever commercially viable barrels of Jordanian oil shale this year.

Jordan Oil Shale Energy (JOSE) revealed on Tuesday that the firm was scheduled to bring the first commercially-viable Jordanian oil share to the surface in the central region of Attarat this September.

Majority of tar sands ownership and profits are foreign, says analysis

Majority of oil sands ownership and profits are foreign, says analysis

By Mike De Souza, Postmedia News May 10, 2012

OTTAWA — More than two-thirds of all oil sands production in Canada is owned by foreign entities, sending a majority of the industry’s profits out of the country, says a new analysis released Thursday by a British Columbia-based conservation group.

Obama Welcomes Southern Keystone XL Pipeline

Obama Welcomes Southern Keystone Pipeline

By Olivier Knox, The Ticket/Y!News Blog

27 February 12

Under fire from Republicans over high gas prices, President Barack Obama on Monday cheered news that the Canadian company hoping to build the Keystone XL Pipeline to carry oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico would press ahead with a US-only segment of that controversial project.

"The president welcomes today's news," spokesman Jay Carney said. "We support the company's interest in proceeding with this project."

Alberta’s new economic boom

Camp Oil Sands: Alberta’s new economic boom
nathan vanderklippe
CALGARY— From Friday's Globe and Mail
Feb. 09, 2012

The floor of the Atco Ltd. (ACO.X-T62.971.111.79%)manufacturing plant sprawls out across 250,000 square feet of concrete covered with stacks of drywall, boxes of spiced ash mouldings and bags of insulation batting. Next to them is the assembly line, where dozens of 18-metre-long mobile housing units are rapidly taking shape, with workers using overhead cranes to raise completed walls and roofs into place.

Utah tar sands still seeking investors despite questions

By brandon loomis

The Salt Lake Tribune
First published Feb 15 2012

Eastern Utah’s tar sands are just a year or so from producing their first commercial quantities of oil — if environmental appeals are settled and the company planning to mine can attract investors.

Those are big ifs.

Two oil shale mining companies contend they’re right behind and said Wednesday at the Governor’s Energy Development Summit that the state is poised for “the next big play” in energy.

Cenovus gets price boost with direct sale to China

Cenovus gets price boost with direct sale to China
carrie tait
CALGARY— From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012

Cenovus Energy Inc. (CVE-T38.890.280.73%)sold its first drops of oil directly to China last week, fetching a higher price for its crude than if it sold its bounty in North America, and now plans to strike more export deals with Asian buyers.

Keystone XL key issue in U.S. election

By Yadullah Hussain, Financial Post February 10, 2012

The last time David H. Wilkins came to the National Post office for an editorial board meeting was in 2005. He was then U.S. Ambassador to Canada and President George W. Bush's key man in Ottawa.

Summing up the U.S.-Canada relationship at the time, Mr. Wilkins recalled a meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mr. Bush: "The President said: 'I will tell you what my policy is on Canada. My policy is to help Canada.' "

Keystone Pipeline Blocked From Crossing Texas Farm

Keystone Pipeline Blocked From Crossing Texas Farm
February 15, 2012

DALLAS (AP) — Owners of a northeast Texas farm have obtained a court order to block TransCanada from crossing the farm with a proposed pipeline planned to carry Canadian oil to refineries along the Texas Gulf coast.

Canadian Natural's tar sands plant off line

Canadian Natural's oil sands plant off line-source
Factbox: Keystone XL dominates energy, environment agenda

Tue Feb 7, 2012

By Jeffrey Jones and Scott Haggett

CALGARY, Alberta, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Canadian Natural Resources Ltd's Horizon oil sands plant in northern Alberta is shut down for unplanned repairs and could be off line for two to three weeks, a source with knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday.

The outage pushed up U.S. oil prices and pressured Canadian Natural shares, which fell as much as 5.2 percent. By early afternoon they were down C$1.69, or 4.2 percent, at C$38.59 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.