“There is pain across North America when it comes to the oil industry”. That comment came from Christopher Guith. The Senior VP-Policy for the Institute for 21st Century Energy with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was talking to delegates at the Oil & Gas Awards Industry Summit. Guith told the crowd the oil industry is […]
Comment: Perils of OPEC being able to control oil prices
preamble: when it comes to Alberta oil and pipelines you often hear those in favour – especially in the U.S. – saying it’s important to they get their oil from a friendly government rather than relying on those in the Middle East. If you ever wanted proof of that, take a look at what OPEC […]
Insurance may not be enough to cover potential disasters
U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) regulators are concerned most freight railroad insurance policies are barely sufficient to cover even average oil train accidents, Politico reports. In an analysis published in early August, DOT reported most large railroads are insured at about $25 million for accidents, with others insuring up to $50 million for certain hazardous cargo. […]
Comment: Oil industry taking on well-funded environmental groups
Back in 2004, Wilburforce Foundation stipulated that the purpose of funding the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) was to protect the region “from oil and gas development, through an advocacy campaign that focuses on grizzly bears and critical wildlife habitat,” tax returns say. Since then, the Wilburforce foundation has granted more than US$25 million to environmental […]
Comment: How a new ‘golden rule’ is shaping oil and gas projects
“Remember the Golden Rule,” said the stunted king from the cartoon The Wizard of Id, “whoever has the gold, makes the rules.” A growing number of institutional investors are heeding the king of Id’s sarcastic “golden rule.” But unlike Parker and Hart’s irreverent cartoon, the real-life outcome of shareholder activism – the influence of the […]
Comment: Fox Guarding Henhouse
How did it get missed for the last ten years?” That was the question Deborah Hersman, chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), posed to a panel of industry representatives back in April about how the rail industry had missed the fact that Bakken oil is more explosive than traditional crude oil. “How do we […]
Comment: Canadian connection reinforces need for Keystone XL pipeline
The United States neighbors two countries, and we like them both, but let’s face it: Whenever there’s a problem for our nation involving one of these borders, it’s almost never Canada’s. While our border with Mexico is constantly involved with issues like illegal immigration or drug shipments, it’s hard to remember the last such conflict […]
Plan to ship from the oil sands to the east coast runs into a snag
Oil-sands opponents rallied in Bretton Woods, N.H., where New England governors held their annual meeting with eastern Canadian premiers. On the table – energy trade and innovation. “We are calling on Northeast leaders to oppose projects that would bring more tar sands oil into the region, and to implement a regional clean fuel standard along […]
Comment: Canada is too small for U.S. to worry about
The headlines are ominous. Canada-U.S. relations have hit a “low ebb” and a “new low.” They are “frayed” and “strained.” Really? A longer-term view suggests recent tensions aren’t all that unusual. Strains over the Keystone XL pipeline, Buy American legislation, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge and a U.S. tax crackdown are typical of the ebb and flow […]
In case you haven’t realized it, patience is a virtue no matter which side of the Keystone XL debate you are on
It’s been a long battle for both sides of the Keystone XL pipeline debate and it likely won’t be over any time soon. In fact the U.S.’s ambassador to Canada is suggesting Canadians need to be patient when it comes to the controversial project. Here’s what Bruce Heyman told CBC, “I think that people need […]