Editor’s note: Indigenous communities across Canada are learning how to prosper in a new era of co-operation in oil and gas development. Setting aside old grievances, industry, government and First Nations communities are working together to ensure that, as equal partners, Canada’s Indigenous peoples enjoy employment and sustainable growth trickles down to them. “Reconciliation begins…
The energy industry is in flux. A new face of the industry is still being carved out as new variables come into play, impacting the crude oil scenario. On Sept. 22, at its Battery Day, Tesla unveiled plans to develop an in-house “tabless” battery. This battery would improve the range and power of its electric…
Road to Reconciliation begins when Indigenous people can stand on their own two feet financially and when their quality of life increases
Editor’s note: Indigenous communities across Canada are learning how to prosper in a new era of co-operation in oil and gas development. Setting aside old grievances, industry, government and First Nations communities are working together to ensure that, as equal partners, Canada’s Indigenous peoples enjoy employment and that sustainable growth trickles down to them. In…
But Ontario’s experience is being ignored and could lead to billions more spent and higher energy costs for Canadians
By Elmira Aliakbari and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute Gerry Butts, former principal secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is at the heart of a new group, the Task Force for a Resilient Recovery, which recently released a series of recommendations for massive investment in green projects. The recommendations seems to be influencing the prime…
The economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic should include Nova Scotia and New Brunswick lifting restrictions on natural gas fracking. Natural gas prices are low but that won’t last forever. Energy industry observers say the natural gas supply glut existed even well before the pandemic. However, the oversupply problems seem to be worse for American…
By Mark Milke and Lennie Kaplan Canadian Energy Centre When forecasting future oil consumption around the world, many people have opinions and agendas. Forecasts rooted in facts and technological capabilities are more rare. An example of an informed opinion comes from Vaclav Smil, professor emeritus of the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Environment. Smil is…
The crude oil demand picture remains murky at best. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has cut its 2021 demand growth outlook to 6.5 million barrels per day (bpd), 500,000 bpd lower than projected last month. Based on patterns, the EIA now expects Chinese demand to grow by one million bpd next year rather than…
While oil and gas investment has grown substantially in other parts of the world, Canada has failed to keep pace
By Mark Milke and Lennie Kaplan Canadian Energy Centre Over the past decade, one oft-heard claim is that oil and gas is a ‘sunset’ industry, where investment in Canada can be expected to decline given a worldwide flight from oil and investment. However, international data (available from 2009 to 2017) show no such worldwide flight…
Over a fifth of Europe’s energy was generated by solar panels and wind turbines in the first half of 2020
Peak oil demand is approaching fast – and earlier than anticipated. It’s not that oil won’t be required in the years and decades to come. It will still be in demand. But the world won’t be critically, crucially and strategically dependent on oil, as it is today. This year may be the turning point for…
Generating, rather than consuming, government revenues will require a clear and profound reversal by the current government
After five years of suffering in eco-zealot purgatory under the Liberals led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the half million or so Canadians whose livelihood depends on the oil and gas industry finally got some good news: The oil sands are now part of the government’s green energy agenda! In an Aug. 12 interview, Natural…
Despite some oil industry analysts and observers looking at the glass as half full, there still seems to be ample reasons for gloom
Forecasting crude oil markets remains a matter of perspective. Global oil demand growth is expected to taper off, journalist and analyst Julianne Geiger says, referencing the latest report from energy consultancy IHS Markit. Crude oil demand sits at 89 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, IHS Markit says. It’s expected to rise, then level off at…
While the Americans were acting in their own economic self-interest, our leaders were undermining our national energy interests
Canada needs renewed federal leadership to support our energy sector, given its importance to the entire economy. And all provinces and territories must come together in this effort. If not, Canada will continue to see the sector fall behind the United States and other larger powers. We will lose our traditional position as a strong…
The pandemic has caused some major producers to pause and defer investments in the petrochemical sector
With the crude oil landscape changing rapidly, the refining industry is faced with major adjustments. Several oil refiners have announced permanent closures in the United States and Asia, while some high-cost refineries in Europe could also be shut down over the next few years. Margins for processing crude into fuels are expected to remain depressed,…
Supported by all these bullish factors, Brent crude spot prices rose. Yet oil markets also face bearish pressures
Faced with gloom and some good news at the same time, crude oil markets continue to be in a quandary. Retrenchment and lack of capital investment could eventually lead to crude shortages, argued David Messler in a piece in Oilprice.com in June. The shortage could result in firming up of oil prices. Messler also points…
Spending lots of money on hydroelectric projects in the hopes we’ll need the power in the future is a mug’s game, even for big projects
Local journalists are always looking for ways to blow a hometown story into something that might interest the networks, big city dailies or syndication services. For me, it was trying to feed stories to the Canadian Press wire service in Halifax while working in local radio and TV in Fredericton and Saint John. They paid…