Industry wary of labour crunch, immigration could be solution, experts say
Oilsands expansion and retiring workers are straining Alberta’s labour market with many recommending immigration as a solution to draw skilled workers. According to a May 2014 report by the Petroleum Human Resources Council (PHRC)—an industry group whose members include the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association—the quantity of labour […]
Canada challenges international commission’s authority to investigate tailings pond leakage in oilsands
The federal government continues to dispute the ability of the international Commission on Environmental Cooperation to investigate claims that Environment Canada is failing to enforce the Fisheries Act in the oilsands. The Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) requested a response from the federal government in December following a three-year review of claims by Environmental […]
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. expands Horizon oilsands
Taking advantage of a relative slowdown in northern Alberta’s construction market, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) has decided to further expand its Horizon oilsands operation by adding another $400-million to its initially planned $2.5-billion investment. The Calgary-based company owns a variety of oil and gas operations around the world, including in North America, Europe’s […]
Keystone XL costs grow as Obama waits, risk spiralling out of control if delays persist
The proposed $5.3-billion Keystone XL Ltd. pipeline has been following all of its regulatory requirements, says economist Jack Mintz, but the political delays may cause the project’s costs to grow out of control. Governments typically regulate the pipeline industry by requiring tolls to approved based on a certain minimum rate of return permitted to […]
Canada’s abundant energy resources help give us a quality of life second to none in world
Canada’s abundant energy resources have helped give Canadians a quality of life second to none in the world. Canada’s energy sector contributed $155-billion to Canada’s GDP in 2012. Over the next 25 years, responsible development of Canada’s energy resources will generate billions of dollars in economic activity, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and billions […]
Oilsands expansion plan overshot, underestimates challenges: experts
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers recently projected that oilsands production would double by 2030, but some experts say the oil and gas industry lobby group probably overshot its estimate because it failed to consider the challenges that may check the industry’s expansion. In June, the CAPP released its annual report for which it […]
Canadian oil quality in question, Canadian LNG can’t compete in Europe: experts
Canada may be years away from having the infrastructure needed to export substantial volumes of energy to Europe, but experts say the European Union’s treatment of Canadian oil and Canada’s inability to strongly compete with Russia also stands in the way. The House Natural Resources Committee recently looked into whether Canadian producers could […]
Mexico’s energy-sector reforms create opportunity for Canadian producers
After overhauling the country’s energy sector, the Mexican government has given Canadian producers an opportunity to boost their involvement in Mexico’s oil and gas production. Triggered by declining oil production, the reforms were tasked with increasing the competitiveness of Mexico’s energy sector. One reform to break up Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX)—the state-run oil company that […]
To extract, upgrade, or refine oil-sands resources?
The president of the Alberta Federation of Labour is calling for more upgrading and refining capacity in Canada’s resource sector, but not everyone agrees that could be achieved without costs elsewhere in the economy. Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan told The Hill Times that lawmakers should build capacity in the […]
Overhaul of environmental acts, lack of consultation hurting pipeline proposals: critics
Thanks to its lack of aboriginal engagement and its “gutting” of environmental regulations, say critics, the Harper government has shaken people’s confidence in its ability to oversee any pipeline project. The Conservative government has made clear its priority to find export markets for Canada’s energy resources but some say it has hurt its own […]
