Discussion on Oil Sands Continues
Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 27, 2009
Some online discussion has emerged from bloggers who recently toured the ConocoPhillips and Syncrude oil sands operations in Alberta, Canada.
In one post, Brian Westenhaus of New Energy and Fuel says:
"For now Canadian bitumen oil is answering about 20% of the U.S. demand and the local people are looking to get past 40%. I wouldn't be surprised as economic confidence increases, their goals will go up. I for one am glad for it."
The Oil Drum's Gail Tverberg provides some additional thoughts on Canadian oil:
"In 2008, oil sands production was 1,213,000 barrels a day, according to CAPP. I am forecasting it to approximately double by 2020."
And in a newsletter to readers, Byron King of Whiskey and Gunpowder talks about Syncrude's advanced production technology:
"The way Syncrude operates, it's not really "mining." It's landscape architecture. Under Alberta law, Syncrude could not turn over its first shovel of rock without a master plan for remediation and restoration at the end of the cycle. It's quite a farsighted model for long-range resource development."