[oilyfan]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...shboard/alerts

While many of the problems remain unresolved, today there’s a new sense of optimism in the oil patch and profits are on the rise. The drop in the Canadian dollar has been a big contributor to the bottom line since oil and gas sales are in U.S. currency. But there’s more to the story. The price differential for Western Canada Select crude has narrowed significantly. The bitter winter was a boon for natural gas producers, pushing prices up by more than 70 per cent. Although the Keystone XL pipeline remains stalled by U.S. politics, oil producers have found other ways to move product to market including a big increase in rail shipments.