Double trouble: the pitfalls of parallel pipelines

Double trouble: the pitfalls of parallel pipelines

2 Responses

  1. Alan Roth Reply

    Thank you for the new analysis. I take exception to the dirty oil cliché though, re: Alberta. 1. Eco-ists say all oil’s dirty: whatever the source, fossil fuel production/combustion creates GHGs. 2. Alberta oil is indeed carbon-heavy but when production methods are included in the calculations for ‘dirtiness’, Venezuela, Algeria, Cameroon, California and Nigeria oils have similar (or greater) GHG-intensity as Canada’s.

    It should be noted that Canada is responsible for just 2% of global GHGs; the oil sands is 10% of that and 0.15% of global GHGs.

    Also, the reality is that Canada’s oil sands producers are very likely the world’s most environmentally conscious and responsible oil producers. Hence the trouble getting pipelines built here.

    Lasty, the oil sands industry has already achieved very significant GHG emissions cuts. As recently reported by Natural Resources Canada, technological and operational efficiency improvements enabled the industry to decrease per-barrel GHG emissions by 29 percent over the 16-year period 2000-2016. Our industry is responding to all the criticism with a great many innovations and environmental performance improvements.

    Thank you!

  2. John Bowlus Reply

    Your comment is appreciated and well taken. Thank you for it. The Canadian oil and gas industry may well be the world’s most environmentally conscious. Norway may be its only rival for that crown.

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