Turns out, net zero was easier to reach than anyone dared dream: Australia has 403 billion barrels of shale oil — 17.5 billion of which is immediately recoverable. But it banned fracking. So now it’s begging for diesel from countries that don’t have a gallon to spare 🤡
Mais oui, it was finalement, euh, within zee reach, non? French energy giant TotalEnergies says it will no longer aim to reach net zero emission targets by 2050
More: I’m out of diesel. All the farmers are out of diesel.
Brian Zinchuk: Did the Multi-Lateral Well Program shoot ourselves in the foot when it comes to provincial revenues?
Also, Decouple Media: The Reactor Canada Forgot How to Sell
Where Europe gets its gas.
Ezra Levant with Lorne Gunter: Why Are Liberals Still Destroying Canada’s Energy Industry Despite Their Promises?
Let's unpack this..
What if the White House has no intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz?
What if this war is really about ships & tariffs?
I had a long discussion with senior DOE official yesterday on background. I can’t share any details but it’s clear everyone’s… https://t.co/DCP0uw7C4E
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) March 18, 2026
Three in-depth pieces on coal-fired power today:
NDP say coal refurbishment will double electricity rates by 2050, prefer natural gas and renewables instead
NDP analysis of coal refurbishment and its impact on rates, in depth
SaskPower Minister responds to NDP study on refurbishing coal and its impact on rates
In cased you missed this major related story on Monday:
BREAKING: Data centre hinges on dispatchable baseload power, including coal refurbishment
I would like to point out that the Leader Post, CTV and CBC failed to mention, or perhaps even realize, that it will be coal powering that new data centre in Regina. Where did they think that power is going to come from? I know! Solar, at night!
BREAKING: Data centre hinges on dispatchable baseload power, including coal refurbishment. Without coal power, it’s unlikely this would be happening.
Also, I will be posting for tomorrow morning two in-depth stories on the NDP’s study into the impact of coal refurbishment on SaskPower rates.
Weekend Watch: The Iran War Expert: I Simulated The Iran War for 20 Years. Here’s What Happens Next.
While watching this, consider if the Iran War does become a forever war, what will it’s impact be on oil production, delivery through the Strait of Hormuz or lack thereof, the world economy, Canadian and Saskatchewan oil production could be profound and last years? Could this lead to a global recession, but good times for our oilpatch? Remember the $147 WTI barrel of July, 2008, led to the global financial crisis that September. Some of us are still bearing the scars of that.
I know I am.
Saskatchewan is the battleground between the AtkinsRealis (SNC-Lavalin/former AECL) CANDU reactor and the Cameco/Brookfield-owned Westinghouse AP1000 reactor. I’d digging as deep as I can to provide context for Saskatchewan decision makers who will be making this decision. In recent weeks I had two podcasts on the CANDU. This is the first on the Westinghouse. What’s really significant here is the Westinghouse ownership is now fully Canadian companies, even though the design is American. And in November or so, Trump’s administration said they’d build 10 of them.
Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 31: Dr. Grant Isaac, Pres. & COO of Cameco on SK buying Westinghouse reactors. There were technical difficulties which shortened our time, so we’re going to take another run at it in the near future.
Also:
This is a really good discussion on LNG:
Decouple Media: The Terrible, No Good week for LNG
Black mark on industry (I hate it when this happens):
Alberta landowners take stand over years of missed payments by delinquent oil company
It turns out Pipeline Online isn’t the only one to use a Timbit as a unit of monetary measure. Maybe they got the idea from Pipeline Online? Here’s the Canadian Press story:
What will the carbon price cost the oilsands? A Timbit per barrel, one analysis says
Brian Zinchuk: Place your bets! What will the oil price be due to the Iran war?
I’m guessing oil prices are going to shoot up really high, in short order.
I just got in my inbox this morning:
But there was “No business case” for Canadian LNG. Or Energy East, for that matter.
Also:
AtkinsRéalis’ Case for CANDU Part 2: A Canada-wide fleet purchase?
On the topic of nuclear power: Mike Harris, former premier of Ontario, will be talking nuclear power generation on the Pipeline Online Podcast on Tues., Mar. 3, at 10 a.m. Join us live on X at https://x.com/Pipeline_Online. I plan on asking about the big picture considerations on nuclear power.
A North Dakota judge has said he will order Greenpeace to pay damages expected to total $345 million in connection with protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline from nearly a decade ago, a figure the environmental group contends it cannot pay.
In court papers filed Tuesday, Judge James Gion said he would sign an order requiring several Greenpeace entities to pay the judgment to pipeline company Energy Transfer. He set that amount at $345 million last year in a decision that reduced a jury’s damages by about half, but his latest filing didn’t specify a final amount.
The long-awaited order is expected to launch an appeal process in the North Dakota Supreme Court from both sides.
Last year, a nine-person jury found Netherlands-based Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA and funding arm Greenpeace Fund Inc. liable for defamation and other claims brought by Dallas-based Energy Transfer and subsidiary Dakota Access.
Should Saskatchewan buy the CANDU reactor when it comes to building large-scale nuclear in this province? Carl Marcotte Senior Vice-President, Marketing & Business Development at CANDU Energy, part of AtkinsRealis, makes the pitch. Building large reactors will only be the largest, most expensive decision made by this province for generations.
Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 29: Carl Marcotte, CANDU Energy
I’m hoping to get Westinghouse on in a future episode, as the main competitor.
Related: Cameco CEO on whirlwind Washington trip for talks on reactor deal
Also – Jim Warren: Critical questions about the Alberta-Ottawa pipeline MOU remain unanswered
Enbridge unfazed by prospect of more Venezuelan oil headed to Gulf Coast
TC Energy sets growth sights on U.S. data centre boom
Bronwyn Eyre: Why the fed-prov ‘MOU’ is ‘Mission Outstandingly Unlikely’
Things have been looking really bleak for southwest Saskatchewan’s oilpatch. If this were a medical drama, this would be where the doctor puts the paddles on the dying patient’s chest, yells, “Clear!” and shocks the patient.
We might have just seen a little blip on the heart monitor with this land sale.
Whew! Southwest Saskatchewan sees more interest in this land sale than in all of 2025 combined
And yes, it is that bad. Most oilfield services in that region have either shut down or are barely hanging on. I spent an hour yesterday talking to the owner of several businesses in that area.
Natural gas and coal kept Saskatchewan’s lights on during frigid weather. As in, nearly every furnace in this province saw its fan running as a result of natural gas and coal, right when we needed it most.
Also: Bronwyn Eyre inaugural recipient of new award for Canadian champions of freedom. She happens to be cohost of the Pipeline Online Podcast and a regular columnist.
Brian Crossman: Artificial Intelligence, the oilpatch, and John Wick’s dog.
And under the file of “I’ll believe it when I see it”: If elected, the Parti Québécois would not necessarily oppose new gas or oil pipelines
Donald Trump’s speech to the WEF at Davos.
Oh, yeah, and he has something of a response to Carney’s speech the previous day, too.
Weekend Watch: Is Canada Wasting Its Energy Advantage? | Doomberg on Oil, LNG, and the Pipeline Future
There’s some pretty good discussion about Saskatchewan at the 30 minute mark.
Also, from Canadian Press: Carney says Qatar will make ‘significant’ investments in Canada’s major projects.
At least Carney isn’t dressing up in local dress like Trudeau did in India. Take that for what you will.
Here’s what Carney, Moe, Beck and Ford posted about meeting with Chinese President Xi and the resulting trade deal
Backgrounder on the deal.
Also, Kaase Gbakon: Venezuela by the Numbers: What 60 Years of Energy Data Reveal About Its Future
Not every investor seems ready to plow capital back into the Venezuelan oil patch. If it were my choice, I wouldn’t rush in either.
“You have an ultra-risky jurisdiction with massively uncompetitive financial terms, in an area where the rule of law is far from certain, in an oil price environment that is challenging, and in a country where the infrastructure to produce said oil requires billions and billions and billions of dollars,” he said in an interview.
“It’s a fairly high conviction call that the appetite on the part of U.S. oil CEOs to re-enter Venezuela today is very, very low.”
Anyone buy sidewalk salt recently? Notice they now ship air instead of salt?
Also:
The past and potential of Venezuela’s oil sector, and what it means for Canada
Weekend Watch: The Broken Barrel – How Venezuela’s rebirth could impact Canada
… during the press conference after nabbing Venezuela’s Maduro.
This is a HUGE problem for Canada, as every barrel of oil Venezuela adds would most likely displace a barrel Canada produces. How do I know? Because Canadian oil replaced Venezuelan production over the last two decades.
Brian Zinchuk: Trump’s takeover of Venezuela means Canada needs those west coast pipelines ASAP
Don’t believe me? Here’s Adam Pankratz in the National Post.
Adam Pankratz: Venezuelan oil could put Canada out of business
If sabotage of the energy industry doesn’t end now, we face impoverishment
I swear I wrote my own column a day before I saw his. They’re almost word for word in some parts.