Markham Hislop

Global oil and gas discoveries fall again in 2017, will impact supply in the 2020s

News

Global exploration expenditures fell by over 60% from 2014 to 2017 2017 was another low year for the discovery of conventional volumes of oil and gas, with less than seven billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) found year to date, according to consultancy Rystad Energy. “We haven’t seen anything like this since the 1940s,” says senior analyst […]

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Indigenous participation key to renewed oil sands monitoring agreement

Canada

Some Indigenous communities withdrew from Joint Oil Sands Monitoring agreement in 2014 over treaty rights Canada and Alberta signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday that renews environmental monitoring of oil sands production in northern Alberta and provides for greater Indigenous involvement in monitoring priorities and decisions. Catherine McKenna, Canada’s minister of environment and climate change, and

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Canada needs new pipelines, as widening crude oil price differentials demonstrate

hold01, Markham on Energy

Pipeline opponents claim no new pipelines required, but market punishes Canadian producers with lower prices due to constrained shipping capacity Will the recent widening of the differential between Western Canadian Select and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate prices, which stood at over $34CDN Wednesday, finally put to rest the patently false narrative that the Alberta-based

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Last of fish spawning deterrent mats removed by Kinder Morgan, says NEB

Canada

NEB had not authorized installation of the deterrent mats, says now that “further enforcement action” being considered In early Sept, the National Energy Board ordered Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC to remove plastic snow fence material laid down in the beds of eight streams during mid-August prevent fish from spawning in the area. The NEB reported Tuesday that as

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US power sector CO2 emissions fall below transportation sector emissions

USA

Electric power’s share of non-carbon-emitting fuels such as nuclear, hydropower, wind, and solar has grown U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from the transportation sector reached 1,893 million metric tons (MMmt) from October 2015 through September 2016, exceeding electric power sector CO2 emissions of 1,803 MMmt over the same time period, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

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Podcast: Forget steam, it’s time to microwave that oil sands bitumen!

hold01, Markham on Energy

RF LX downhole heater promises to replace steam for SAGD, lower or eliminate GHG emissions, reduce costs Of all the types of energy news I report, innovation and new technology stories are the most interesting. There’s something about smart people using science and engineering to solve real world problems that gives me hope for humanity.

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Inter Pipeline’s polypropylene plant near Fort Saskatchewan gets final investment decision

News

Project will create 2,300 full-time construction jobs, 180 full-time operational positions Calgary-based Inter Pipeline says cheap propane feedstock and low electricity rates combined with the Alberta government’s petrochemical $200 million of subsidies will allow its polypropylene plant in the Industrial Heartland near Fort Saskatchewan to be competitive in the North American market when the facility opens in

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Why the poor value proposition of electric cars should deep six Canada’s zero-emission vehicle policy

hold01, Markham on Energy

Electric cars are expensive, have limited range, and generally provide low value compared to gasoline-powered vehicles This spring the Canadian government announced that a zero-emission vehicles policy would soon be forthcoming, but is this a good use of the limited resources Canada has to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions? Absolutely not. Electric cars still provide very

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Podcast: EV battery technology…is solid-state emerging as the next big thing?

hold01, Markham on Energy

Lithium-ion batteries likely to drop 50% in cost, rise 50% in range – Dr. Yi Cui of Stanford University Back in mid-Nov., General Motors fired a shot across the bow of Tesla that didn’t generate as much excitement as it deserved: in 2021 the all-electric Chevy Bolt will get better batteries that crack the $100

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CAPP misses mark with criticism of new Alberta GHG emissions reduction policy for oil and gas sector

hold01, Markham on Energy

CAPP didn’t make constructive contribution to drafting of Carbon Competitiveness Incentives, hasn’t yet completed its analysis The gloves are off. Canada’s biggest oil and gas trade group came out swinging against Rachel Notley and her Climate Leadership Plan Monday with an op-ed by CEO Tim McMillan in the Calgary Herald. With all respect to the Canadian

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