Alberta's leader in a deep hole 10/25/2009
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach is in a struggle for his political life. Consider this: � His Progressive Conservative party got relegated to third place in a recent election to fill a vacancy in the pro...

Pondering Arctic gas riddle 02/10/2008
Prospect of 'clean' gas fueling Alberta oil sands looms over Mac, North Slope projects
It's a question that has dogged the Mackenzie Gas Project almost from the outset and is now bothering Alaskans. It quite simply boils down to this: If gas from the Mackenzie Delta and the North Slope...

Alberta tossing contracts 'out window' 11/04/2007
Investment bank: renegotiating oil sands agreements undermines business environment; Alberta accused of abandoning relationship
If all the changes contained in Alberta's new royalty regime, none has unsettled the industry or investors more than the government's decision to renegotiate royalty contracts with oil sands giants Sy...

Alberta wants bigger take from oil 09/23/2007
Government panel says province doesn't get fair share from energy development, recommends tax bite should increase by 20 percent
The State of Alaska isn't the only government looking to raise its take of oil and gas revenues. A government-appointed panel has concluded that "Albertans do not receive their fair share from energy...

Alberta faces nuclear test case 09/02/2007
Privately held company files regulatory application for province's 1st reactor; expects 10 years of public, regulatory hearings
Privately held Energy Alberta has brought the nuclear debate in Alberta to a head by filing an application to build twin reactors in northwestern Alberta at an estimated cost of C$6.2 billion to gener...

Government pressed to take more active role 06/17/2007
The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association is pressing the Alberta government to be more proactive in developing a policy to manage energy growth. Failure by the province to become more engaged could me...

Rethinking oil sands hike 05/20/2007
Alberta finance minister worries that royalty increases could drive investors away
Tt took only six months for the new Alberta government under Premier Ed Stelmach to start wavering on the call for higher oil sands royalties. Finance Minister Lyle Oberg, one of the loudest supporter...

Who's on first in the Alberta government? 02/04/2007
Put it down to rookie slip-ups. Either that or Alberta's oil and gas leaders are headed for what they probably hate most - a government that doesn't know what it is doing, with cabinet ministers oper...

Grappling with the nuclear genie 01/28/2007
Canadian, Alberta governments uncertain how to handle public debate; reactor sales by Atomic Energy of Canada also an issue
While governments dither and disagree, the nuclear option to power Alberta's oil sands is taking on a life of its own. Two independent sources expect to know within the next few weeks whether there is...

Failure to act could slow oil sands growth 12/31/2006
Alberta Energy and Utilities Board calls for 'coordinated action plan' to cushion environmental, infrastructure impacts of growth
Alberta's energy regulator has taken another chance to hammer home its message to governments that unless action is taken to handle oil sands growth development could be in trouble. For the second tim...

Rolling out royalty review 12/24/2006
Alberta's new premier moves quickly to start public review of government returns from oil sands; plans to select panel of experts to hold 'transparent' hearings
Alberta's newly installed Premier Ed Stelmach has wasted no time embarking on his first priority - a public review of the oil sands royalty structure - despite sharp divisions between the petroleum in...

Political landscape shaken up 12/10/2006
New Alberta premier plans public scrutiny of oil sands royalties, wants to keep more bitumen refining in province; new federal Liberal leader has 'green' agenda, Kyoto Protocol at top of his list
In an age when political surprises are few and far between, Canada experienced two upheavals in the space of 24 hours that could have deep consequences for the oil and gas industry. Stephane Dion was...

Oil sands barrel overflows 11/19/2006
Mined output soars, Devon and Total caught in price grip, natural gas consumption a worry, nuclear power gets a political lift
Sifting through the latest grains from the oil sands seldom fails to yield a mix of the good, the bad, the ugly and the fascinating. The last couple of weeks have produced the following: ...

Alberta oil sands in slowdown mode 10/22/2006
Government, industry leaders explore ways to spread construction over a longer period, reducing competition for labor, materials
From a helter-skelter, head-spinning rate of growth, the Alberta oil sands may be taking the first, tentative steps into an era of a more manageable, measured pace of expansion. In a convergence of ev...

Evaluating a gigantic partnership 10/15/2006
Jury out among analysts on whether Conoco/EnCana JV a deal or steal; Alberta premier's likely successors ease tough talk on upgrading
It wasn't a case of EnCana thumbing its nose at Alberta's current and future political leadership, but the big independent's precedent-setting decision to team up with ConocoPhillips in an integrated...

Arctic gas vital to chemical plan 10/08/2006
North Slope, Mackenzie Delta gas liquids key components of Alberta's plan to boost ethane supplies, keep petrochemical sector alive
The Alberta government has announced its long-awaited lifeline to the petrochemical industry, a policy that has been years in the making and depends heavily on North Slope and Mackenzie Delta gas supp...

Nukes for oil sands sector gathers speed 09/10/2006
Energy Alberta plans C$3 billion reactor to generate steam to produce 220,000 bpd of bitumen; in discussions with 6 producers
The nuclear option to fuel Alberta's oil sands sector, rather than disappearing as environmental and security-conscious organizations would prefer, keeps gathering speed. Energy Alberta Corp., a newly...

Stirrings of change in Alberta 09/03/2006
Government slipping in polls as Klein's departure nears; royalties get a tweaking; new directions sought to reap more from energy resources
Alberta is entering one of those rare moments in its history, when political change occurs. For almost three quarters of a century, the province has been governed by only two political parties - Soci...

Time to remove barriers: Bodman 07/23/2006
DOE secretary to spend final time in office tackling issues of pipelines, refining, that limit import of Canadian heavy crudes
With the Middle East on the brink of war, geopolitical turmoil disrupting crude supplies and oil edging towards US$80 per barrel, Canadian government and industry leaders were spared the need to sell...

Sands showdown 07/23/2006
Mikisew Cree First Nation asks for halt to oil sands expansion; local governments concerned; Suncor says it must seize window
That might once have been a relatively benign regulatory hearing is taking on the appearance of a showdown, as Suncor Energy battles aboriginal and local government opposition to a C$7 billion expansi...

Feuding over Alberta royalties 07/23/2006
Candidates for Alberta premier's job favor a review; industry, energy minister warn changes could be destructive to oil sands
The industry is emphatic - don't meddle with what works - but there's squabbling within the Alberta government as pressure builds to review the oil and gas royalties, with special emphasis on the oil...

A sticky time for Alberta oil sands 07/16/2006
Bodman visits Alberta amid growing debate over frantic pace of expansion; two former political leaders call for reality check
When former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed speaks, he is guaranteed an audience. When former U.S. Vice President Al Gore speaks, the same applies. When the two of them, coming as they do from opposite...

Oil Patch Insider 07/09/2006
Allies do battle over Arctic gas
If it's not war it sure has the smell of something intense. Petro-Canada and Canadian Oil Sands Trust, both partners in the Syncrude Canada consortium, are pulling out all stops to land the Arctic n...

Do we have a job for you.... 05/28/2006
Canadian companies offer finder's fees, bonuses, stock options to attract professional staff
The hunt for skilled professionals is getting tougher than the hunt for new oil and gas reserves in Alberta. Faced with a 5 percent annual turnover rate, companies are having to dig deeper to recruit...