Canada's upstream on upswing; '09 drilling licenses down 47% 01/17/2010
With Canadian government land sales slumping to a 17-year low and average natural gas prices at their lowest point in the past decade, it was no surprise that cash-squeezed producers slashed their dri...

Enbridge warns of possible pipeline over-capacity 12/27/2009
Between TransCanada and Enbridge - Canada's two biggest energy pipeline companies - there's seldom a meeting of the minds. From the time they got caught up squabbling over rights to ship Alaska North...

Alberta touts carbon capture prospects 12/13/2009
The Alberta government may not be putting all of its climate-change strategies in one basket, but it's coming close as it pursues recognition as a world leader in advancing carbon capture and storage...

New economic age for Canada 12/13/2009
Final terms for Northern Gateway regulatory hearing coincide with Harper's declaration that Asia-Pacific supplanting US, Europe
The pieces are now in place for a Canadian regulatory hearing that carries profound overtones for Canada's economic future, now that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has rated the Asia-Pacific region ahe...

Asia-bound, 'sooner rather than later' 11/29/2009
Enbridge, Kinder on verge of revealing strategies to open new markets for Alberta oil sands production, urged on by interest groups
Between now and mid-2010, the prospects of shipping bitumen from the Alberta oil sands to Asian refineries are heading toward make-or-break decisions. Enbridge anticipates submitting an application to...

Canada faces gas liquids challenge 11/08/2009
Canada's National Energy Board expects rising imports of condensate to support the oil sands sector will reach 346,000 barrels per day by 2020 compared with 78,000 bpd in 2008. Diluents are needed for...

Mining Explorers 2009: Northern Tiger Resources Inc. 11/01/2009
NTR: TSX-V President and CEO: Greg Hayes Director: Lori Walton Vice President, Exploration: Dennis Ouellette Northern Tiger Resources Inc., formed in April 2008 in Alberta as a spinoff of Firestone V...

Mining Explorers 2009: Gold fever heats up in Yukon 11/01/2009
Markets separate 'haves' from 'have-nots' in mining-friendly region
Recession, what recession? That could have been the cry of some gold exploration companies in Yukon Territory in 2009. Thanks to several very impressive gold discoveries in 2008 at a time of unpreced...

Mining Explorers 2009: Shear Minerals Ltd. 11/01/2009
SRM / TSXV President and CEO: Pamela D. Strand CFO: Greg Hayes Shear Minerals Ltd. is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on diamond exploration in the Canadian North where it explores in...

Canada backs carbon capture 10/25/2009
Governments commit C$1.65B to 2 projects, claim they lead world in developing technology; others say industry should do cleanup
Canadian and Alberta taxpayers are starting to feel a rather large hand in their pockets as the two governments roll out plans for carbon capture and storage projects - their key technological initiat...

Activists seize oil sands spotlight 10/18/2009
That rumbling sound in northern Alberta comes from the oil sands, where even a lull in the once-frenetic rate of growth does not mean a total time out. Far from it. Greenpeace activists invaded Sunco...

Mining News: Junior seeks gold in cash-tight year 09/27/2009
Northern Tiger drills promising zone at Sonora Gulch; identifies drill targets at Minto-style copper properties in Dawson Range
SONORA GULCH - Scattered along the Dawson Range, Northern Tiger Resources Inc.'s nine gold and copper projects are located in one of the Yukon Territory's more affluent mineralized neighborhoods. "It...

Arctic Directory: TOMCO owes its incredible success to working hard and going the extra mile 09/20/2009
Standing by its service and rates is TOMCO'S main edge over the competition
Q. What do you most want people to know about your company? A. TOMCO is committed to working hard to be the best at what we do, going the extra mile for our customers. Our employees have contribute...

Upgrader assets on auction block 09/13/2009
The unraveling of once-promising plans to build a C$4 billion merchant upgrader in Alberta may be entering its final phase. BA Energy, a unit of Value Creation, is ready to auction off the assets from...

TransCanada, Enbridge going at it again 08/23/2009
Pipeline giants lock horns over rival attempts to establish a 'bullet' crude oil pipeline from Alberta to U.S. Gulf Coast
When the National Energy Board convenes on Sept. 15 it could be adjudicating another brawl between TransCanada and Enbridge, Canada's pipeline heavyweights. They just can't seem to get along. In the...

Carbon capture: Silver bullet or blank? 08/23/2009
Alberta government report estimates up to C$3 billion in public money might be needed each year to develop CSS technology
The debate is just warming up in Canada over the use of carbon capture and storage, widely touted as a climate-change strategy and the answer to Canada's reputation as a source of "dirty oil" from the...

British bank enters oil sands suit 07/12/2009
The Co-operative Group, a United Kingdom-based bank, has contributed C$100,000 to a legal fight by a small Alberta First Nations community against oil sands expansion in the province. That followed a...

Canada to match US climate-change rules 07/05/2009
Canada will play ball with the United States on climate-change regulations to avoid crippling tariffs on its oil exports, but will continue to press its case in Washington for other clean-energy alter...

Oil Patch Insider 06/07/2009
When you're down, you're down...; war of words on gas line progress under Gov. Palin
Reeling from low commodity prices, the Canadian petroleum industry got some soothing words from Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach, author of his province's widely condemned royalty overhaul. Under the new r...

Rallying to oil sands 05/24/2009
French, Norwegian firms make a case for expanding their presence in Alberta
From big and small, from domestic and international stages, there is a steady, rebuilding drumbeat of support for the Canadian oil sands, motivated largely by a belief that cheap oil is disappearing. ...

No easy route to Asia for oil sands 05/17/2009
Enbridge Northern Gateway project from northern Alberta to Kitimat, B.C., draws opposition from First Nations, conservationists
The closer Enbridge moves to placing an application for an Alberta-to-Asia link for oil sands production before Canadian regulators, the more resistance to the project seems to build. Its Northern Gat...

Imperial, TransCanada leading the charge 05/10/2009
Companies take bold view of oil sands, while others rescope plans, rethink strategies; not fazed by Obama's environmental policies
Imperial Oil and TransCanada, key players in the Mackenzie Gas Project, are also emerging as key proponents of future oil sands development. Imperial Chief Executive Officer Bruce March has dropped th...

Total tap dance in Canada oil sands 04/12/2009
Company has made hostile bid for startup junior while unloading minority position in another startup; questions about C$9B project
France's Total is bewildering the Alberta oil sands sector as it moves in all directions at the same time. It is engaged in a hostile bid for a startup junior, is unloading a minority chunk of another...

Alberta carbon plan loses half of bidders 04/12/2009
Carbon capture and storage targeted for 70 percent of province's greenhouse gas reductions; 4 major oil sands players withdraw
Ten are in and 10 are out of the bidding for a chunk of C$2 billion in Alberta government money to advance technology in carbon capture and storage. But even from those who have agreed to submit furth...

Upgrading begins at home 03/29/2009
Legislation introduced to take oil sands bitumen in kind rather than cash, providing a catalyst for new 'value-added' upgrader projects
For the Alberta government, it is no longer a case of wistfully counting the jobs and revenues being lost as oil sands production enters the United States for upgrading and refining. Premier Ed Stelma...