Comments on: Wednesday Night #1336: TAR SANDS http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/ Where the world comes together Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:46:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Diana Thébaud Nicholson http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-492 Diana Thébaud Nicholson Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:15:24 +0000 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-492 From Jaime Webbe: "This reminds me of a discussion we had a couple of weeks ago…" <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071031.RCLIMATE31/TPStory/?query=environment" rel="nofollow">Assess climate risk, firms urged</a> SHAWN MCCARTHY, Globe & Mail October 31, 2007 <strong>Corporate executives and directors face a growing threat of investor lawsuits if they fail to assess and mitigate the risk their companies face from climate change</strong>, accounting experts warned yesterday. The business of climate change is booming - major utilities are investing in efficiency; retailers are demanding energy-saving lighting; and exchanges are launching emissions-trading systems. But while some companies are leading the charge in anticipation of regulatory and market pressure to act, several chartered accountants warned that too many companies still regard global warming as a mere annoyance, if they think of it at all. "This is not a social responsibility issue but a business problem," said <strong>Johanne Gélinas</strong>, a partner at Deloitte & Touche and a former federal environmental auditor. From Jaime Webbe:
“This reminds me of a discussion we had a couple of weeks ago…”

Assess climate risk, firms urged
SHAWN MCCARTHY, Globe & Mail
October 31, 2007
Corporate executives and directors face a growing threat of investor lawsuits if they fail to assess and mitigate the risk their companies face from climate change, accounting experts warned yesterday.
The business of climate change is booming - major utilities are investing in efficiency; retailers are demanding energy-saving lighting; and exchanges are launching emissions-trading systems.
But while some companies are leading the charge in anticipation of regulatory and market pressure to act, several chartered accountants warned that too many companies still regard global warming as a mere annoyance, if they think of it at all.
“This is not a social responsibility issue but a business problem,” said Johanne Gélinas, a partner at Deloitte & Touche and a former federal environmental auditor.

]]> By: Diana Thébaud Nicholson http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-453 Diana Thébaud Nicholson Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:07:38 +0000 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-453 And from <strong>the Council on Foreign Relations</strong> "Some experts recently expressed concerns that Canada would follow through on calls to raise oil royalties, worried that such a step may dissuade investment in Alberta oil-sands projects. McKennitt of the U.S. National Association of Petroleum Investment Analysts points out that the energy-intensive process for extracting oil from tar sands has cut into natural gas exports to the United States because so much gas is being used in the extraction process. “So if we want the oil we don’t get the gas,” he said." <a href="http://www.cfr.org/publication/14554/" rel="nofollow">more </a> And from the Council on Foreign Relations
“Some experts recently expressed concerns that Canada would follow through on calls to raise oil royalties, worried that such a step may dissuade investment in Alberta oil-sands projects. McKennitt of the U.S. National Association of Petroleum Investment Analysts points out that the energy-intensive process for extracting oil from tar sands has cut into natural gas exports to the United States because so much gas is being used in the extraction process. “So if we want the oil we don’t get the gas,” he said.” more

]]> By: Diana Thébaud Nicholson http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-452 Diana Thébaud Nicholson Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:48:22 +0000 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-452 Oct 11, 2007 <strong><a href="http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/265573" rel="nofollow">Brokerage says oil royalty boost could cut 19,100 jobs</a></strong> Alberta, the source of about 10 per cent of U.S. oil supplies, may lose about 19,100 jobs if the government imposes higher royalties, says Calgary-based brokerage FirstEnergy Capital Corp. About 11,000 jobs related to the oil-sands industry and 8,100 from oil and natural-gas drilling could be eliminated if the province adopts a panel's recommendations to boost royalties and implement a new tar-sands tax, the brokerage said yesterday in a research report. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. of Calgary warned on Tuesday it may cancel oil-sands projects worth $7 billion because of changes proposed last month by the panel. Also warning of reduced spending in Alberta are producers EnCana Corp., Talisman Energy Inc. and ConocoPhillips's Canadian unit. Higher royalties may prompt the cancellation of $28 billion in oil-sands projects from 2008 to 2015, the brokerage said, resulting in the loss of an estimated 11,000 direct and indirect jobs, while reduced drilling would eliminate about 8,100 jobs on oil rigs. Oct 11, 2007
Brokerage says oil royalty boost could cut 19,100 jobs
Alberta, the source of about 10 per cent of U.S. oil supplies, may lose about 19,100 jobs if the government imposes higher royalties, says Calgary-based brokerage FirstEnergy Capital Corp.
About 11,000 jobs related to the oil-sands industry and 8,100 from oil and natural-gas drilling could be eliminated if the province adopts a panel’s recommendations to boost royalties and implement a new tar-sands tax, the brokerage said yesterday in a research report.
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. of Calgary warned on Tuesday it may cancel oil-sands projects worth $7 billion because of changes proposed last month by the panel. Also warning of reduced spending in Alberta are producers EnCana Corp., Talisman Energy Inc. and ConocoPhillips’s Canadian unit.
Higher royalties may prompt the cancellation of $28 billion in oil-sands projects from 2008 to 2015, the brokerage said, resulting in the loss of an estimated 11,000 direct and indirect jobs, while reduced drilling would eliminate about 8,100 jobs on oil rigs.

]]> By: Diana Thébaud Nicholson http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-427 Diana Thébaud Nicholson Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:58:04 +0000 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-427 <strong>Oil Prices, the Kondratiev Cycle and Peak Oil</strong> by Michael A. Alexander (This essay was first published in May 2005) High oil prices are much on investors' minds today and a cycle-based examination of oil is well due. I discussed oil in my 2003 book Retiring Rich and presented an investment strategy for oil stocks that has since been not very useful. The strategy called for buying oil driller stocks or a suitable index when oil prices and rig counts reached certain (low) levels. Since late 2002 when I developed the strategy, prices and rig counts have remained well above these buy levels and the strategy has been irrelevant as a result. The strategy was based on the assumption that the 1985-2002 experience during which oil traded in a broad range would hold into the future. As Figure 1 shows, almost immediately after I developed the strategy, inflation-adjusted oil prices rose to levels outside of this post-1985 trading range and today are far higher. The reason I believed that oil would continue to trade in this region was based on our position in a Kondratiev downwave. I interpreted the mid-1980's collapse in oil prices as a reflection of the "fall to plateau" event in the reduced price measure. <a href="http://www.safehaven.com/article-5008.htm" rel="nofollow">More</a> Oil Prices, the Kondratiev Cycle and Peak Oil
by Michael A. Alexander
(This essay was first published in May 2005)
High oil prices are much on investors’ minds today and a cycle-based examination of oil is well due. I discussed oil in my 2003 book Retiring Rich and presented an investment strategy for oil stocks that has since been not very useful. The strategy called for buying oil driller stocks or a suitable index when oil prices and rig counts reached certain (low) levels. Since late 2002 when I developed the strategy, prices and rig counts have remained well above these buy levels and the strategy has been irrelevant as a result.
The strategy was based on the assumption that the 1985-2002 experience during which oil traded in a broad range would hold into the future. As Figure 1 shows, almost immediately after I developed the strategy, inflation-adjusted oil prices rose to levels outside of this post-1985 trading range and today are far higher. The reason I believed that oil would continue to trade in this region was based on our position in a Kondratiev downwave. I interpreted the mid-1980’s collapse in oil prices as a reflection of the “fall to plateau” event in the reduced price measure. More

]]> By: Diana Thébaud Nicholson http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-426 Diana Thébaud Nicholson Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:46:46 +0000 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/10/wednesday-night-1336-its-about-oiltar-sands/#comment-426 <strong>Muskeg</strong> [Algonquian, "grassy bog"] is a term describing a type of landscape, environment, vegetation and deposit. It attained widespread use in the 1950s during northward expansion of resource development. Peatland and organic terrain are equivalent terms generally referring to northern landscapes characterized by a wet environment and vegetation (e.g., black spruce muskeg) botanically classified as mire (subdivided into bogs and fens). Muskeg defies precise scientific definition. It may cover large areas (Hudson Bay Lowland) or occur as small, isolated pockets. Muskeg produces PEAT deposits of variable thicknesses and types because of incomplete decomposition of plant matter in the wet, acid environment. The particular vegetation and hydrological patterns allow recognition of different muskeg types by REMOTE SENSING. Most peat and muskeg in Canada is less than 10 000 years old and occurs in areas covered by the last GLACIATION. Peat accumulation rates and the distribution of muskeg are dependent on climate conditions and controlled by CLIMATE CHANGES. In northern regions, muskeg and PERMAFROST are closely associated and can present difficult engineering problems. No comprehensive, Canada-wide survey of muskeg has been made, but various estimates indicate that Canada may have more muskeg (over 1 295 000 km2) than any other country. <a href="http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0005566 " rel="nofollow">More than you ever wanted to know</a> Muskeg [Algonquian, “grassy bog”] is a term describing a type of landscape, environment, vegetation and deposit. It attained widespread use in the 1950s during northward expansion of resource development. Peatland and organic terrain are equivalent terms generally referring to northern landscapes characterized by a wet environment and vegetation (e.g., black spruce muskeg) botanically classified as mire (subdivided into bogs and fens).
Muskeg defies precise scientific definition. It may cover large areas (Hudson Bay Lowland) or occur as small, isolated pockets. Muskeg produces PEAT deposits of variable thicknesses and types because of incomplete decomposition of plant matter in the wet, acid environment. The particular vegetation and hydrological patterns allow recognition of different muskeg types by REMOTE SENSING. Most peat and muskeg in Canada is less than 10 000 years old and occurs in areas covered by the last GLACIATION. Peat accumulation rates and the distribution of muskeg are dependent on climate conditions and controlled by CLIMATE CHANGES. In northern regions, muskeg and PERMAFROST are closely associated and can present difficult engineering problems. No comprehensive, Canada-wide survey of muskeg has been made, but various estimates indicate that Canada may have more muskeg (over 1 295 000 km2) than any other country. More than you ever wanted to know

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