The Farther West Canada's Tories Go, The Bigger Tar Sand Deposits Become - G&M

[hatrack]

EDIT

In the House of Commons yesterday, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn rejected concerns that a breakneck development in the oil sands would swamp the Conservative government's climate change strategy. He suggested production there is unlikely to exceed 3.1 million barrels a day within the next 10 years, although that's still triple what companies now pump out of the high-cost, heavily polluting oil sands.

Still, his lowball estimate doesn't square with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's effort to tout the country's potential as an energy superpower. In New York this fall, the Prime Minister said oil sands production was expected to hit four million barrels a day by 2015. But on a recent trip to China, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty played a little Texas hold 'em with the oil sands estimates, seeing Mr. Harper's four-million-barrel forecast and raising it another 600,000.

Earlier this month, Mr. Flaherty travelled to China in an effort to lure Chinese investment to Canada, including the oil sands. Despite hints of interest two years ago, Chinese companies have so far made only minor investments. Mr. Flaherty told Chinese business people they are missing an enormous opportunity. "Between now and 2015, energy investment in Canada is projected to be about $400-billion," he boasted. "Production from Alberta's oil sands stands at about 2.5 million barrels a day now, and is on its way to 4.6 million barrels per day by 2015."

In fact, oil sands production now stands at about 1.1 million barrels a day, and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says its most optimistic forecast has it growing to 3.5 million by 2015.

EDIT

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070130.ROILSANDS30/TPStory/Business

[sharp_stick]

1. If they could ever find a way to make it more

environmentally friendly to extract oil out of the tarsands we could almost forget about Saudi Arabia couldn't we? Although I'd like to find a way to really reduce out dependance on fossil fuels I'm not opposed to dumping the Saudi royal family in the mean time.

[NickB79]

2. Either way you're still releasing CO2

And making global warming worse.

[Strelnikov_]

4. Problem is, the 'tar sands' are about as much of an energy source

as corn ethanol.

However, it is a fine source of roofing tar and asphalt . . .

[GliderGuider]

3. Lunn is such a lightweight

He's "real impressed" with the Canadian nuclear industry too, and wants to see nukes in Fort McMurray. When he talks about the industry it sounds like he's quoting from a CANDU Vistor's Day pamphlet. As much as I'm OK with nuclear power from a technical perspective, I'm very skeptical about the human, economic and legislative side of the industry. And I don't want ANYTHING to increase the output from the tar sands. Fortunately, I think that people who tout 5 Mbpd of syncrude by 2025 or any similar foolishness are dreaming in technicolour.

Given the combination of their agenda, their naivete and their fervent desire to kiss American butt, this may be the most dangerous government that Canada has ever elected.