Official (Alberta) Oil Discussion Thread

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

You are not going to get a big enough ship through the locks, I wouldn't think. Plus you have to deal with the US. And people. So many people.

Yeah, even if you pipe it all the way to the east end of Lake Ontario, you are still bound by seawaymax which is 225.6m long, 23.8m beam, big, but not huge, when trying to keep a refinery fed. And then you still have the issue of the international section of the seaway (dealing with the americans). You can bet Quebec wouldn't just sit back and watch the tankers flowing through the locks either.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

I don't know why we aren't building up Churchill, MB and other NW Passage shipping control and port assets. The ice is going away, we need to be asserting our dominion on what will be THE most important shipping route outside of the Panama Canal in the next 100+ years, if not MORE important than the PC.

I've been wondering about that too.

A relevant article today:
Stretched Thin on Thin Ice

With the Arctic melting and northern coast guards struggling to keep up, the next disaster is a matter of when, not if.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/s...=pocket-newtab

The winter of 2018 brought new record lows in the extent of sea ice in the Arctic. On one day in February—a month when temperatures in the Arctic were around 20 degrees Celsius above normal—the amount of sea ice in the Arctic was nearly 500,000 square miles less than the historic average, according to the Norwegian Polar Institute, a Norwegian government research body that monitors the region.

Asked if they were prepared to avert the next Titanic or respond to the next Exxon Valdez oil spill, both Norwegian and U.S. officials offered similar answers: They’re under-resourced, understaffed, and doing the best they can. “What we do,” said Ray, “is manage risk.”

The Arctic Shipping Route No One’s Talking About

By mid-century, a Transpolar Passage will open across the Arctic Ocean via the North Pole. Few countries are preparing for this reality except China.


https://www.maritime-executive.com/e...-talking-about

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

I'm not a pipeline engineer, but I wonder if there are technical challenges to building to Churchill. The seasonal flooding and ground heaves make maintaining the rail link an ongoing issue, I would think there are similar concerns with running a pipeline.

Alaska pipeline runs above ground in areas of permafrost and other areas where it's tough to trench. This might be feasible.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Alaska pipeline runs above ground in areas of permafrost and other areas where it's tough to trench. This might be feasible.

Port of Churchill is very shallow, without massive development it isn't feasible. 2010 shipping season was July to October, what do you do the rest of the time this is closed due to ice?

Developing somewhere like Churchill, is a non-starter for the environmental groups, as well as the majority of Manitobans I would suspect.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Flacker

Port of Churchill is very shallow, without massive development it isn't feasible. 2010 shipping season was July to October, what do you do the rest of the time this is closed due to ice?

Developing somewhere like Churchill, is a non-starter for the environmental groups, as well as the majority of Manitobans I would suspect.

Not disagreeing about that part, I was commenting more on the technical feasibility of constructing the pipeline itself through northern Manitoba.

[troutman]

Churchill is back in play, but this time by pipeline

https://www.pipelinenews.ca/opinion/...ine-1.24082541


https://globalnews.ca/news/6548498/o...itoba-premier/

[CaptainCrunch]

It'd be nice to build a pipeline and a port that doesn't involve Quebec, almost rightfully Quebec shouldn't be allowed to share in any economic benefits of that.

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1258230336372252673

[redforever]

Murphy Oil announced today that it is pulling out of Calgary and moving its headquarters to Houston.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by redforever

Murphy Oil announced today that it is pulling out of Calgary and moving its headquarters to Houston.

That is very big news in El Dorado Arkansas where the family is from and where they retained their corporate HQ until today’s announcement.

Meant to add: If you go to high school at an El Dorado public school, Murphy pays your college tuition. Full stop.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Thank Trudeau as well, with one stroke of a pen I believe any PM could make energy east happen and instantly Canada could not only serve it's own customers in eastern Canada but Europe as well, instead of incoming Saudi supertankers in Saint John's harbor it could be supertankers flying a Canadian flag bound for Europe.

What we need is a National Energy Program or what I call the NEP.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

That is very big news in El Dorado Arkansas where the family is from and where they retained their corporate HQ until today’s announcement.

Meant to add: If you go to high school at an El Dorado public school, Murphy pays your college tuition. Full stop.

Which is amazing. The release I read noted that the Murphy scholarship (or whatever it's called) will continue on, so that's a bit of nice news out of this whole thing.

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1258177209161756672

[Voodooman]

Looks like Alberta’s O&G industry is not the only one with political considerations impacting viability. Could be a huge change in US energy policy come November....in that they might actually have one that goes past the Kenney/Trump model of hand out as much cash to the industry as possible.

https://apple.news/AnQ6nvTXlQZ-uGe2tFP_BCA

[Yoho]

Some well wishes from BC.

Lawrie McFarlane: Alberta is seeing consequences of its own smugness

https://www.timescolonist.com/island...ess-1.24132707

[CaptainCrunch]

I think the term I'm thinking of is kiss my . . .

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Yoho

Some well wishes from BC.

Lawrie McFarlane: Alberta is seeing consequences of its own smugness

https://www.timescolonist.com/island...ess-1.24132707

A sensationalist headline, but not much to dispute there. I think the public wage issue is mischaracterized, as that is an inevitable side effect of any boom economy.

[woob]

"In any event, Alberta is now experiencing the consequences of living in a cocoon of smugness, epic mismanagement and disdain for the rest of the country."

I can't comment on the smugness part, but the other two points in this sentence are bang on. One need only look at the past 40+ years of politics in this province, and one need only spend a few weeks on this board alone to experience the disdain. Much like when Prentice said Albertans need to look in the mirror, Albertans don't like to be called out to face the truths. Unless it's something the NDP did, then please shout louder.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by woob

"In any event, Alberta is now experiencing the consequences of living in a cocoon of smugness, epic mismanagement and disdain for the rest of the country."

I can't comment on the smugness part, but the other two points in this sentence are bang on. One need only look at the past 40+ years of politics in this province, and one need only spend a few weeks on this board alone to experience the disdain. Much like when Prentice said Albertans need to look in the mirror, Albertans don't like to be called out to face the truths. Unless it's something the NDP did, then please shout louder.

Similar opinions discussed in a 2012 article during boom times.

Kelly McParland: Alberta envy emerges as the new national disease

“For instance, the reasons given by respondents for their low opinion of Albertans included: ” that compassion, open-mindedness and tolerance was not always what it could or should be,” and that “respondents felt [Albertans] did not care about the rest of the country.”

Um, what??? Where would anyone get ideas like that? In searching their minds prior to stating their opinions, exactly what criteria did respondents use in reaching the conclusion that Albertans are a) heartless and b) don’t care about the rest of the country? Is there a blatant example of unpatriotic Albertan selfishness out there I’ve missed? Can anyone cite even a single case of Albertans giving the impression their concern for the rest of the country is any less than that of other Canadians?”


https://nationalpost.com/opinion/kel...tional-disease

[AltaGuy]

Larf. From 2012.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/n...article545475/

"If you qualify for equalization, you should have to show some results-based performance," Mr. Liepert said in a speech to the Chamber of Commerce.

This is what we were like during the Redford years.