Shell Wins Russian Heavy Oil Deal

September 25, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

The Russian mid-sized oil firm Tatneft has given Shell’s operations in Russia a boost by choosing it as its partner in developing vast deposits of heavy bitumen oil in the Volga region in the republic of Tatarstan. Although no specific details of the agreement have been made public the firm has said it will choose … Read More

Canada: Panel Calls for Hike in Oil Sands Royalties

September 19, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

A Canadian government-appointed panel reviewing Alberta’s energy royalties has called for the oil-rich Canadian province to increase its total take from the energy industry by 20 percent a year, or roughly $2 billion Canadian (US $1.97 billion). The report by the provincial panel targets Alberta’s oil sands projects in particular and says royalties have not … Read More

Tar Sands: Canada’s “Dirty Little Secret”

September 17, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post 2 Comments

Stupid Idea number two. Good article by Dan Woynillowicz from World Watch on the growing importance of Canada’s tar sands, especially to the US. If you thought coal to oil (see blog below) was stupid, tar sands is much worse. The United States has its hopes pinned on Canada’s “tar sands” for North American security … Read More

“The Answer to Oil Sands”

August 13, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

Interesting story from the Globe and Mail about new techniques being used to exploit Alberta’s oil sands which offer a “potential sea change in how Canadian companies wring energy from the ground.” Most companies have traditionally pumped steam into their reservoirs to move the putty-like oil deposits, a process called steam-assisted gravity drainage, but this … Read More

Alberta Gripped by “Oilsands Fever”

August 8, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

As we have reported on the blog, the bout of oilsands fever sweeping through northern Alberta shows no sign of slowing down. Last week there were a staggering $38 billion in deals. This huge investment shows that skyrocketing construction costs are not dampening interest. “The size of the prize is very large, so everybody is … Read More

Marathon Moves Into Oil Sands

August 1, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post 1 Comment

The rush to invest in Canada’s oil sands is on (see yesterday’s post on Shell). Marathon Oil, the largest oil refiner in the U.S. Midwest, is set to become the latest international energy player to grab a stake in Alberta’s oil sands, after it announced a deal yesterday to buy Calgary-based Western Oil Sands Inc. … Read More

Shell to Build $25 Billion Oil Sands Plant

July 31, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post 1 Comment

Oil giant Shell is seeking to build a new $25 billion plant to process bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands. The “Scotford Upgrader 2 Project”, to be built near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, will be built in four phases with a capacity of 100,000 barrels a day each. Construction may start as early as 2009.

US Urged to Act on Energy

July 18, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

The US should adopt the toughest possible fuel economy standards for motor vehicles and join a global framework for managing carbon dioxide emissions. These are the findings of a Bush administration-commissioned study of the energy industry, led by Lee Raymond, the former chairman of Exxon.

PetroChina Pulls out of Canadian oil Sands

July 13, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

PetroChina is pulling out of a US$3.8 billion Alberta to British Columbia pipeline project that would have supplied crude oil to China from Canada’s oil sands. Yiwu Song, vice president of China National Petroleum Corp., PetroChina’s parent company, said the company was tired of the lack of Canadian government and producer support for their business, … Read More

Oil Sands Costs Spiral

June 29, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

The costs of developing major oil sands projects in Alberta are spiralling ever higher, as a consortium led by Petro-Canada estimated yesterday that the first stage of its Fort Hills development will cost a huge $14.1-billion. The project – the most expensive single development yet proposed in the oil sands – includes the construction of … Read More