Markham Hislop

Podcast: Cleantech helps solve emissions, environmental issues in oil and gas industry

Markham on Energy

Naturally Resourceful event brought together industry, government, entrepreneurs to discuss strategies for growing cleantech, or “restech” as Muir calls it Contrary to popular opinion, cleantech (short for clean technologies) is not the exclusive domain of renewable energy or net-zero homes or  any of the thousands of technologies that are transforming how Canadians work and live. […]

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Canada will probably win legal fight with BC over Trans Mountain Expansion, but at what cost?

Markham on Energy

Federal government enjoys exclusive constitutional jurisdiction over inter-provincial pipelines, can over-ride Province, municipalities on Trans Mountain Expansion permitting British Columbia’s strategy of delaying permits for the Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline may be working. Project proponent Kinder Morgan says that it is pushing back the start of construction nine months and if there is further “regulatory uncertainty,”

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New BC electric work vehicle program should be focus of Horgan govt’s zero emission transportation strategy

Markham on Energy

Electric work vehicles add value for industry by lowering costs, providing other advantages like better torque As a rule, electric vehicle subsidy programs are bad public policy. The American experience nicely illustrates how to tax dollars helping millionaires buy $125,000 Teslas. But a new BC program to boost sales of specialty EVs, especially electric work

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Rachel Notley extends pipeline olive branch to British Columbia in major Vancouver speech

Markham on Energy

Notley’s speech emphasized Alberta commitment to combating climate change, economic benefits to all Canadians When Premier Rachel Notley announced her cross-country tour to support pipeline projects specifically, and more generally the Alberta oil and gas industry, she focused on the rule of law, an argument that sells poorly in British Columbia. But her speech to

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More Alberta refining, upgrading of heavy crude oil is never going to be economic, but partial upgrading might be

Markham on Energy

Full upgrading is a bust, new refineries are too risky, and converting existing refineries is constrained by US shale oil supplies Albertans should stop pining for more refining and upgrading of Alberta oil sands bitumen and heavy crude oil, judging by the conclusions of a new study from IHS MarkIt. The economics simply don’t work.

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Suncor to reinstate random drug testing Dec. 1 for ‘safety sensitive’ oil sands jobs

Canada

Building Trades of Alberta seeking collaborate solution, Unifor hopes to challenge Suncor in Supreme Court of Canada Suncor Energy is planning to re-instate random drug testing of oil sands employees on Dec. 1, according to an internal memo obtained by Energi News, which has a national union seeking leave to challenge the decision in the

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Canadian fossil fuel use peaks in 2019, but not in Alberta until 2037 – NEB study

Canada

Alberta fossil fuel use driven by 2.1MM b/d jump in crude oil output from 2016 to 2040, high economic growth The National Energy Board recently released its Energy Future 2017 report (EF2017) that forecasts Canadian fossil-fuel demand could peak in 2019, then plateau until 2040. A follow up study shows that the trend looks quite different across

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Well drillers association misses target by a country mile with tax, regulatory criticisms

Markham on Energy

New study reveals property taxes, pipeline capacity biggest challenges to oil and gas industry, not “regulatory uncertainty” or environmental levies The Canadian well drillers have released their 2018 drilling forecast, which reflects a steady as she goes state of affairs while prices hover around $50 WTI and the oil patch slowly gets back to work

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