Energy Today - April 11, 2011
Rayola Dougher
Posted April 11, 2011
Forbes: Canadian Oil for U.S. Prosperity: Why Not?: The real win-win for producers, consumers, and taxpayers is ramping up stable and reliable production. And the most stable and reliable sources of energy for Americans are right here in North America. The offshore "permitorium"--the slow motion approval of permits to drill for oil and gas offshore in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill--is one area ripe for liberalization for domestic jobs, domestic oil and overall economic growth. But also consider the now-politicized case of the Keystone XL Pipeline expansion that would bring Canadian heavy oil all the way to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. The existing Keystone Pipeline extends from Hardisty, Alberta, to Cushing, Okla.; Keystone XL has the same origin but would stretch past Cushing into Houston and Port Arthur, Texas. Once up and running, the $7 billion expansion is estimated to nearly double the pipeline's oil flow to 1.1 million barrels per day... Beyond its obvious energy benefits, Keystone XL is also a much-needed job-creator. The Canadian Energy Research Institute estimates that in the project's first four years of construction and operation, tens of thousands of U.S. jobs will be directly created. Pennlive.com: There are More Jobs Than Workers in Marcellus Shale Region: The job market around Williamsport is rebounding, and some businesses are even having a hard time getting workers, employers are saying. And the jobs are not just in the gas fields. Companies are also looking to fill vacancies created by those who left to work in the Marcellus Shale. "We need to get the word out, there are jobs," said Peter DePasquale, who owns DePasquale Staffing Service and said he had a message for anyone that left the area in search of work: "Come on back."
FOX Business: Chevron Committed to US Gulf, Bothered by Lack of Permits: Chevron Corp.'s (CVX) head of North American deep-water operations said Friday that the oil company remains committed to its aggressive Gulf of Mexico exploration plans but needs U.S. regulators to accelerate "the painfully slow" pace at which they are approving exploration there. "We're not slowing down but we certainly need our business partner to work with us and in this case it's the current regulatory environment," Steve Thurston, a vice president at Chevron's North American exploration and production unit, said during an industry breakfast in Houston. "We've got billions of dollars in investment in place and obviously if we can't get the system working, we're going to go elsewhere with that funding."
Additional Resources:
Philly.com: Marcellus Just Start of Rich Pa. Reserves
Corpus Christi Caller: Eagle Ford is Opportunity, Responsibility