Jim Warren: Could maximizing Canadian oil production and exports over the medium-term help reduce CO2 emissions for the long-term?
“There is a chasm of disagreement separating climate-concerned policy makers in Ottawa and supporters of the oil and gas sector on the prairies. Each side behaves like they’re playing a zero sum game.”
Also: Investing in oil and gas still important, IEA deputy head tells Calgary crowd
Election 2024: All-of-the-above energy strategy, no changes to royalties: New Democratic Party
This is the third in a series of in-depth interviews with the parties vying for the Saskatchewan election. In it, NDP Energy Critic Aleana Young speaks about the NDP’s all-of-the-above energy strategy.
The greatest threat to nuclear development is not technological or even financial – it’s change in government. This was evident with the Site C Dam in BC, where a new NDP government pumped the brakes, but then ultimately went ahead with it. The NDP in Saskatchewan continue to support nuclear power development, but “we have to get it right.”
As I’ve done with the other parties, I reproduced everything I could find in the party platform related to energy. Well, the terms “oil” “natural gas” “potash” “critical minerals” “SMR” “nuclear” or “electricity” are not referenced within the document. But “healthcare” comes up 35 times.
Friday will be the Buffalo Party. So far, I have not heard from the Greens, PCs or Progressives. Wonder why? Is anyone else writing 3200 word stories on their energy policies?
On a side note, I attended a three hour long Estevan city council/mayor town hall this evening. It took 2 hours and 25 minutes before anyone made any serious comments about coal. That was right before I got my chance to ask about dealing with the impending eventual shut down of coal-fired power generation, but also preparing the city for nuclear power. Amazingly, about half of the 13 people on stage really had no substantive answer on that front, and several had no clue or hadn’t thought of it. You would think that would be the most important issue facing this city – much more important than sidewalks or boulevard flowers (which got more discussion up until that point than coal or nuclear). Especially since the nuclear built out will be the most costly infrastructure project in Saskatchewan history to date. (If I attend a forum like this, you can be damned sure I’m going to ask the toughest questions.)
In Pipeline Online’s quest to ensure we all know EXACTLY what the feds are telling us on energy, I have a series of press releases from this week, which I’ll post over the weekend.
SIMSA 2024: Oil and gas is a “cornerstone of our financial prosperity,” says CAPP CEO Lisa Baiton.
To rectify Canada’s sinking economic status, we need to fix our energy regulatory framework to be timely, predictable and simpler. Along the way, we need to include Indigenous people and their investments.
Those were the messages by Lisa Baiton, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, in her keynote address to the 10th annual Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association (SIMSA) Energy Forum.
Pipeline Online is attempting to do in-depth interview on energy policy with each of the parties involved in the Saskatchewan 2024 general election. First up: Saskatchewan United Party:
Election 2024: Grow oil production to 500,000 bpd, cut PST by half: Saskatchewan United Party
Trump’s ‘Drill, baby, drill’ could mean a return of US$35 oil
“I believe I’ll be able to get energy down to 50 per cent – 50 – five-oh – of what it is right now within a period of less than a year.” – Donald Trump
If he drops oil prices by half, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Canada overall will be in a world of hurt.
Wall Street Journal looks, wrongly, at Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline and its impacts. There’s a lot wrong in this video. Can you count the ways?
Weekend Watch: Mike Rowe and Victor Davis Hanson on what’s wrong with society, and there’s a lot Highly recommended.
Environment, energy ministers offer Jagmeet Singh a briefing on carbon pricing. Oh sure, now they tell him about it.
Manitoba government extending gas tax holiday until end of the year Because of course it is. This is the problem with supposed gas tax holidays – you can’t end the holiday.
Indigenous equity ownership saw momentum in 2024, but still more work to do
Top swag of the show: Bravo Target Safety hands out aspirin keychains. With an 18mm culvert in the largest artery of my heart, I grabbed four. Hopefully I’ll never need them.
And just in case you were wondering, Alberta’s power was $0 for almost the entirety of Sept. 27. I’ll write about that next week if I have time.
So yesterday I put over 800 km on my truck to attend a press conference in Saskatoon regarding the report of Saskatchewan’s Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal on the planned greenhouse gas emissions cap on oil and gas production, as well as “Methane 75.” That proposes cutting methane emissions by 75% by 2030.
This is the opening story in what will literally be dozens of pieces on this, as I will be publishing most of the submissions to the tribunal.
The key thing is the Saskatchewan government says an emissions cap is a de facto production cap, and this report bears that out. And for the record, oil and gas, principally oil, is the largest portion of Saskatchewan’s GDP, exceeding even agriculture and potash.
Also, I looked down at my tripod while at the press conference and noticed it’s covered with grey specs of drilling mud from visiting various rigs over the summer. And then I looked around at the other media’s tripods – CTV, Global, CBC, CBC French, some I don’t know. No mud. I wonder why? Go figure.
The hollowing out of Canada’s industrial base continues. A few people said there’s been some new rigs built, but I’ve been told by the industry association those were retrofits.
Are more drilling rigs going to be decommissioned? And have we forgotten how to build new ones?
Jet turbines used to make pipelines work in UK (here, too, but the video is about the UK)
Weekend Watch: Jet engines that power a nation
Canada really has two significant competitors when it comes to providing heavy oil to the US Gulf Coast refinery complex – Venezuela and Mexico. Venezuela’s been driving its self off a cliff in its socialist paradise. And it looks like Mexico’s exports are likely going to collapse, too, according to Peter Zeihan. Gee, if only Keystone XL had been built to supply our heavy oil to their refineries built for that product…
Peter Zeihan: The self-inflicted downfall of Mexican energy
And, well, I guess I’ll include this, too. Vi Day is very important. The other guy wasn’t sure why he was included, but was honoured to be.
Vi Day, Brian Zinchuk among King Charles III Coronation Medal recipients
Multilateral well program proving a big win in Lloydminster area and SE Sask
My intention coming out of the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show last week was to see if the multilateral well program, announced in last spring’s budget, was a success and making an impact. After all, it was the biggest change in the royalty structure in decades. Well, it was. Here’s my story on that.
This is a big deal for the Saskatchewan oilpatch. And remember, oil and gas is the No. 1 contributor to Saskatchewan’s GDP, surpassing even agriculture, if you can believe it.
Why aren’t the oilsands companies planning on using CO2 for enhanced oil recovery? This is a colossal missed opportunity. Massive. Yuge. Yes, with a Y, like Trump.
Here’s my attempt at a reel from the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show. Hopefully more to come.
Oh, and it looks like Muskrat Falls wasn’t just going to bankrupt the Newfies, who quietly got a $5 billion bailout during COVID, but it looks like Nova Scotia, too, is getting bailed out.
Federal $500M bailout for Muskrat Falls power delays to keep N.S. rate hikes in check
But hey, Saskatchewan power rates can skyrocket as we have to get rid of our cheap coal – no problem!
And, since there’s plenty of public money for everything these days:
Energy minister says public money could help finance Alberta energy cleanup
And for something completely different – Quick Dick McDick harvests wheat.
Wind output in Alberta falls below 1 per cent, again, Sunday morning
So if you can’t rely on wind, how about oil? Learn more about heavy oil at the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show on Wednesday and Thursday.
Cenovus donates $2.5 million to Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Maybe they want to shape hearts and minds to, I don’t know, provide for their society and keep homes warm and transportation out of the days of horse and wagon?
West Texas Intermediate is at its lowest point in over a year. This, despite the Ukraine war still going on, and supertankers being targeted in the Red Sea.
With the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show coming up next week on Sept. 11-12, it’s apt to point out there’s more drilling activity happening just outside of Lloyd than there has been in many years.
These surge of new drilling just within spitting distance of the upgrader is a new development. We haven’t seen that level of activity in that immediate area in probably 10 years, maybe more. I don’t know if it is directly related to the multilateral drilling program, but I suspect it is. I hope to find out when I’m up in Lloyd.
Also, I’ll be on the Evan Bray Show on CJME/CKOM at 10 a.m. from in studio on Wednesday. I hope to ask callers what energy issues they’d like to see addressed in the upcoming election, and talking about the Lloydminster developments.
Op-Ed: Deidra Garyk’s Bill C-59 submission to Competition Bureau
Energy advocate Deidra Garyk made the following submission to the Competition Bureau regarding Bill C-59, which came into law in late June. That law is an egregious assault on free speech in this nation, and Pipeline Online vehemently opposes it, as should you.
Also:
Crown land sale shows interest in three areas, but none in the fourth. Hate to say it, but it looks like southwest Saskatchewan is withering on the vine.
