AutoblogGreen

True cost of oil: ExxonMobil pipeline spills in Arkansas

Jon LeSage — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Green Culture, Legislation and Policy, Oil Sands

The controversial Keystone XL pipeline that would deliver tar sands oil mined in Alberta, Canada to Texas for cleanup and then return it to Canada has a number of serious issues and points of contention. Among the debates going on in Washington are which route would be used and what, exactly, are the risks of environmental disasters. We have another example of what the Keystone XL might bring now that ExxonMobil is dealing with a pipeline rupture in Mayflower, AR in its Pegasus pipeline.

The oil company is cleaning up thousands of barrels of heavy Canadian crude oil spilled from an Arkansas pipeline Friday, March 29. The pipeline is about 65 years old and broke near a housing development in Mayflower, streaming oil across yards and down streets (as you can see in the video below). The pipeline remained shut and the company declined to speculate when it would be repaired and restarted. ExxonMobil had been fined in 2010 for not frequently inspecting another portion of the Pegasus line.

The smell is unbelievable.

If you watch the video, you'll see what a local resident videotaped while driving home. His house hadn't been affected, but across the street there was a pipeline break point where oil gushed down to a drain at end of the street. The smell is unbelievable, he says in the video.

Evacuation of local residents had yet to take place, but that could be required for assessment of the damage and determining why the leak occurred. Police set up a check point to keep residents away from the affected area. Helicopters were circling the neighborhood on Monday to assess the damage. ExxonMobil released a statement that two ducks had been found dead from the spill and that 10 "oiled ducks" were being treated at a local animal welfare center.

The Pegasus pipeline can transport more than 90,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Patoka, IL, to Nederland, TX. While this is not tar sands oil, Pegasus was carrying Canadian Wabasca Heavy crude at the time of the break. It's a bitumen oil from Pelican Lake in Northern Alberta that needs to be blended with lighter oils or natural gas liquids to make it through pipelines.

Debate has been sparked about the age and condition of these pipelines and the volume of oil that can be transported through Pegasus, and it has similar implications for Keystone XL. Traders have said a prolonged disruption of Canadian crude in the Pegasus line could spike prices for crude oil in the Gulf Coast. Environmentalists are expressing concerns over greenhouse gas emissions from these pipelines, and other threats. "An influx of tar sands on the U.S. pipeline network poses greater risks to pipeline integrity, challenges for leak detection systems and significantly increased impacts to sensitive water resources," the Natural Resources Defense Council said in an emailed note to Reuters.

Continue reading True cost of oil: ExxonMobil pipeline spills in Arkansas

True cost of oil: ExxonMobil pipeline spills in Arkansas originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Broad coalition working against ethanol, says it's "worse than tar sands"

Jon LeSage — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Ethanol, Legislation and Policy, Oil Sands

Another round of fighting has started over whether E15 - a blend of ethanol (15 percent) and gasoline (85 percent) - should be adopted nationwide. The latest jab comes from Scott Faber, a lobbyist for Environmental Working Group, who says that, as far as greenhouse gasses go, ethanol is "worse than Canadian tar sands."

Ethanol has destroyed more wetlands and grassland in the last four years than were wrecked in the last 40, as far as greenhouse gas emissions go, Faber says. That argument touches a nerve, since about 40 percent of the US corn crop goes to ethanol and an ongoing Midwest drought has contributed to high corn prices. The price spike has been encouraging farmers to plow marginal virgin land, releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere. Fertilizer and pesticides used for corn get washed into rivers.

The anti-E15 coalition is getting pretty big. Oil industry, environmentalists, taxpayer groups, livestock owners and foreign aid groups want to see Congress repeal the 15-percent ethanol blend mandate. Ethanol industry groups like the Renewable Fuels Association have been leading the counter attack, and so far the US Environmental Protection Agency is not backing down.

"The American public should be outraged this thing is still on the books," said Charlie Drevna of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) group. The AFPM has been joined by powerhouse American Petroleum Institute to wage an all-out war against the ethanol mandate.

It is an odd coalition opposing E15, and the Canadian tar sands comment doesn't exactly clarify things. The fight will continue in Congress and the White House, and could easily prompt another federal lawsuit.

Broad coalition working against ethanol, says it's "worse than tar sands" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oil supply will be 'less tight' than expected

Danny King — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Oil Sands

Ah, just what a bunch of V8-starved Americans need to hear.

An International Energy Agency (IEA) report released last week says that the combination of weak global economies, increased oil supply from the Americas and better extraction technology will make oil "somewhat less tight over the medium term than it has been through most of the last decade."

The IEA, in its annual "medium term" report that forecasts supply and demand conditions for the next five years of so, also said oil demand from non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (i.e., non-Western world nations) will overtake the demand from OECD nations as early as 2014 because of growing economies in Asia Pacific and the former Soviet countries. Even with this increase, OPEC may have "spare capacity," the report says.

Check out a synopsis of the report below. Then, you know, go burn a set of tires in celebration.

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Petrol crisis thriller "Fumes" makes statement, looks for backers

Jon LeSage — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Green Culture, Transportation Alternatives, Oil Sands

"The UK's fuel supply has run out and the country is coming apart at the seams... Jared must escape London to reach his wife and child. He siphons the petrol from his own car to prevent it from being stolen, but just as he is getting ready to leave, there is a knock at the door... It's an old friend of Jared's: a volatile character named Sy... and Sy needs a ride..."

So says the trailer for the film "Fumes," which appears to be a tense, short thriller that's yet to be made and is looking for backers. It's set in near-future London, where an oil crisis has caused the country's petrol supply to run out. The story was Inspired by two crises: a UK petrol shortage in 2009 when pumps were running dry, and the fiery London riots of August 2011 following protests over the shooting death by police of a local man, Mark Duggan.

The film will be asking serious questions about society, sustainability, and reliance on fossil fuel. Writer-director-producer Tom Werber, best known for his animated short, "Losers: Flush," is campaigning for financial support and working with up-and-coming young actor Aaron Taylor, known for his role in the film "Some Dogs Bite," who will play troubling friend Sy.

The next hurdle is money. The "Fumes" team is working on raising £12,600 ($20,000) through crowd funding site Indigogo. The project has a deadline of mid-October to raise the funds, and so far the numbers have been small. The funding categories pay tribute the movie's theme, such as $5,000 for "The Oil Field," which means you get to be an executive producer in the credits or just $50 for "The Full Tank," where you get your own special DVD copy of the film and a thank you in the film credits. As of press time, $1,050 of the $20,000 had been claimed.

"We have assembled a fantastically talented team behind this film. This is a low-budget production, and all of the money we are asking for will go towards equipment, locations and travel costs." said producer Stephen Smith.

Once it's shot and edited, "Fumes" the plan is to enter the film in major short film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Sundance, and Toronto. Werber - a director of film, music videos, commercials and animation - has experience showing his work at award festivals and exhibitions, including the Louvre Gallery in Paris, and Encounters festival, BUG and Big Screens in the UK.

Petrol crisis thriller "Fumes" makes statement, looks for backers originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keystone XL Pipeline decision pushed back to 2013

Domenick Yoney — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:48:00 EST

Filed under: Oil Sands, North America, USA

After spending several years carefully reviewing the application from TransCanada for the permit necessary to run its Keystone XL pipeline from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada to the refineries and ports along the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Department of State has finally announced a decision. It has decided not to decide right now, saying it will wait until 2013 to decide, so it can spend more quality time examining routing options around certain environmentally sensitive parts of the Sand Hills area of Nebraska.

As one might imagine, the decision, or non-decision if you prefer, is being received differently by different people. Some of those opposed to the project are, perhaps prematurely, celebrating a final victory, taking comfort in earlier statements from TransCanada officials that any delay in the permitting process would kill the pipeline. Others, both in favor and opposed, are reacting with cynicism, suspecting the delay is a political ploy meant to gain votes in the November 2012 presidential election.

Those in favor of the project are, of course, disappointed and quick to accuse the Obama administration of squandering job opportunities and diminishing energy security. For its part, TransCanada is putting a brave face on the situation with its CEO Russ Girling stating, "We remain confident Keystone XL will ultimately be approved."

While we can take some small comfort that this incredibly carbon-intensive, environmentally-destructive fuel won't be flowing at its maximum rate for a couple more years, there still seems to be a sad inevitability to the project. The technological breakthroughs needed to make this energy source a thing of the past can't come soon enough.

Make your way past the break for the official announcement from the State Department and the responding press statement by TransCanada. For a nice calm analysis of the situation and the decision/non-decision, the documents are accompanied by a video from PBS Newshour addressing the situation.

Continue reading Keystone XL Pipeline decision pushed back to 2013

Keystone XL Pipeline decision pushed back to 2013 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China's Qaidam oil sands test a-okay, daily crude production could reach 700 tons

Eric Loveday — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Oil Sands, Green Daily

Oil sand samples obtained from the Yousha Mountain in the Qaidam basin located in the northwestern region of China have been sampled, tested and deemed "feasible" for further development and exploration. As the China Petroleum Daily reports, samples contain a high percentage of clean oil that should make the process of extraction and refinement a relatively low-cost operation.

The report states that the Qaidam oils sands reserve could contain enough usable crude to allow for the daily extraction of 700 metric tons. However, the report did not list any detailed info regarding the total crude reserves contained within the region. Once extraction begins, the Qaidam basin will become the country's first oil sand project. China intends to invest additional resources and funds into the exploration and extraction of fuels from rather unconventional methods like coalbed methane, oil sands, oil shale and shale gas. Of course, most of us are well aware that these unconventional fuel sources are typically much dirtier, well to wheels, than conventional energy sources. Others see the unusual methods as an option - the last, best option? - to get to lower gas prices, reduced energy costs and increased production.

[Source: HeavyOilInfo]

China's Qaidam oil sands test a-okay, daily crude production could reach 700 tons originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corn ethanol industry strikes back against greenhouse gas emission charge

Xavier Navarro — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:12:00 EST

Filed under: Ethanol, Oil Sands

Earlier this year, the EPA criticized ethanol because it has a negative environmental balance of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when compared to gasoline obtained from crude oil (read their report here). As there's rarely an attack without pushback, the Renewable Fuels Association has decided to interpret that report from their point of view and has found that certain sources of oil do indeed have a worse negative impact than corn ethanol. That is, when lighter and more easily refined crude grades become exhausted, oil will need to be extracted from other sources (e.g., oil sands) and these methods incur greater environmental impact. By comparison, RFA says, corn ethanol looks good.

Of course, we can have a long debate on what to take in account when producing these fuels. Yes, the fuel burned by the tractor that plowed the land where corn was grown can be taken into consideration, as it us under ISO standards. But what about the oil used to produce the tractor itself? How about the balance of cutting some forest to plant sugarcane in Brazil? Not an easy equation, but one that invites more pushback.

[Source: WSJ]

Corn ethanol industry strikes back against greenhouse gas emission charge originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reasons to quit: Millions of gallons leaking from oil sands tailings ponds daily

Domenick Yoney — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:39:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Oil Sands, North America, USA

Just in case you needed another reason to cut back on your gasoline consumption, you might consider the pollution catastrophe we are creating in Canada, America's main oil supplier. A new report (PDF) released by Environmental Defense, using industry figures, estimates that tailings ponds created by oil sands projects may be leaking 2,750,000 gallons of contaminated water every day. While that sounds like a lot, the problem may actually be even worse considering the conservative methodology used to reach the conclusion. Titled "11 Million Litres a Day, The Tar Sands Leaking Legacy " and produced by Pembina Corporate Consulting, the report also states that if future projects go ahead as scheduled, this number would increase by five-fold by 2012. That's about 18,041,400 gallons a day. Yikes!

The only bright spot we can see is that, with the fall in oil prices, some oil sands projects are being delayed. Not much of a bright spot considering the damage being done and the lack of any political will to even acknowledge the problem, let alone requiring companies to clean up their "mess". If you're upset by all this then we won't even mention a separate report that estimates the deaths of 160 million birds over the next few decades from this oil extraction process. Ooops! Something to think about the next time you go to fill up your gas tank.

[Source: Environmental Defense via Green Car Congress]

Reasons to quit: Millions of gallons leaking from oil sands tailings ponds daily originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oil sands projects bogging down

Domenick Yoney — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Oil Sands

The recent drop in oil prices, in combination with the failing economy, is taking a toll in the development of Canadian oil sands. Because of low labor productivity and increasing costs, the Canadian-based industry is finding it increasingly difficult to compete in the global marketplace. Poor environmental practices and an "uncertain regulatory picture" are, according to a recent report by consultants McKinsey & Co., also contributing factors to a slew of development slowdowns and "postponements."

One high profile example is Royal Dutch Shell. Yesterday, they announced they are holding off on phase II of their Athabasca oil sands project, although they will continue on with their existing expansion operation. Other projects seeing similar actions include (but are not limited to) the $20.6-billion Voyageur oil sands project by Suncor, the $23.8-billion Fort Hills development by Petro Canada, Teck Cominco Ltd. and UTS Energy Corp as well as $6.6-billion Long Lake project by Nexen Inc. and OPTI Canada Ltd. We expect that, as the price of oil begins to climb sometime in the near future, the corporations will continue on with their plans to destroy Alberta for fun and profit.

[Source: Globe & Mail]

Oil sands projects bogging down originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saudi Arabia to begin pumping on Khurais oil field shortly

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Oil Sands, Middle East

Saudi Aramco's core area in Dhahran city

The world's insatiable demand for petroleum is about to cause more drilling and pumping in Saudi Arabia, as the country is set to begin setting up shop on the Khurais oil field. A ten-billion dollar investment will be made which is expected to allow the nation to pump one and a half billion additional barrels of oil per day by the end of next year. The project, which is already expected to begin shipping over a million barrels of oil beginning next June, is a massive undertaking.

Saudi Arabia has, to this point, resisted producing additional oil, as it believes there is no shortage at all. Instead, the country points to the low value of the U.S. dollar and unrealistic speculators are the major driving forces behind the record-high oil prices. Still, the country remains extremely important to major oil-consuming nations such as the United States as it currently produces eleven-percent of the world's daily supply of oil and is the only country left with relatively easy-to-tap oil reserves.

[Source: AP via The Detroit News]

Saudi Arabia to begin pumping on Khurais oil field shortly originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. mayors call for oil sands boycott

Domenick Yoney — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:18:00 EST

Filed under: Legislation and Policy, Oil Sands, North America, USA

Oil sands mining transforms the landscape Photo: David Dodge, Pembina Institute

American mayors attending their annual meeting in Florida this week adopted a resolution that "supports federal legislation that prohibits government use of unconventional or synthetic fuels" derived from CO₂-intensive sources such as oil sands or shales and "encourages" mayors to boycott the use of these fuels in their own municipal fleets. Although it seems to have gone largely unmentioned in the American press, the same can not be said of the Canadian media. There, newspapers and and other media outlets are crammed with articles and editorials denouncing the decision with headlines such as, "Oilsands boycott bad for U.S., premier warns" and "Critics say US mayors ignoring energy reality".

Already on the defensive on the domestic front after the deaths of hundreds of ducks from mining pollution and opposition to the Conservative-led federal governments willingness to sacrifice over a dozen lakes to tailings contamination, advocates for the mega-money oil sands projects seem none too happy to hear criticism emanating from South of the border. Their reminders that China and India would be only too happy to buy their "dirty" oil do seem a little over the top though since the resolution was more of a toothless wish than an actual ban. Text of the resolution after the jump.

[Source: CTV]

Continue reading U.S. mayors call for oil sands boycott

U.S. mayors call for oil sands boycott originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Saudi Aramco executive says oil reserves claims wrong

Domenick Yoney — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:21:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Oil Sands

All sorts of people have been weighing in on the price-of-oil situation lately. Could the current price be a bubble waiting to burst or is it reflective of flat production levels mixed with the rising demand from India and China? If former Saudi Aramco executive, Sadad Al-Husseini, is right, $130 oil might be a bargain-basement price in the near future. It's his contention that the "proven" reserves that are claimed to exist by oil-producing countries are substantially inflated with "probable" reserves being added to the former figure, as well as tar and oil sands. How many non-existent barrels might there be? Try 300 billion.

Mr. Husseini makes the claim in an article in Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, disagreeing with that publication's numbers and "common methods" of reserve estimation. He says the estimates include "unconventional hydrocarbons, inaccessible oil accumulations and unconfirmed recoveries, none of which fit the current definitions of proven or probable reserves." An example he sites, according to our source article from NewsMax, is the 140 billion barrels of Canadian bitumen estimate that is often reported as "proven" reserves. He believes only a small fraction of that amount could be turned into a useful fuel.

Perhaps the oil-supply future will become more clear with the completion of a study this November by the International Energy Agency. They are considered a reliable source of oil information and are currently analyzing depletion rates and are talking with usually-secretive governments. We suspect that many "experts" will continue to weigh in on the topic long before the study's release.

[Source: NewsMax]

Former Saudi Aramco executive says oil reserves claims wrong originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda passes the 60 million Cub mark

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:07:00 EST

Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Honda, Oil Sands

Honda's amazing little Cub, which started life with a tiny little four-stroke engine of just 50ccs, continues to build on its record of the most popular vehicle in the world. Just how many tiny-engined Hondas could there be in the world, you ask? How about sixty million. That's certainly a staggering number, but what is surprising is that the machine is selling better now than ever. Last year alone, Honda was able to move an amazing 4.7 million Cubs, despite the fact that they are not sold in America any longer. As our car-obsessed buddies at Autoblog point out, there are twice as many Cubs roaming the world than F-Series pickups and nearly three times as many as the original Volkswagen Beetle. If you'd enjoy owning one but live in the U.S., fear not. A trip to your local classifieds or eBay will surely yield a few friendly Hondas for your perusal.

Continue reading Honda passes the 60 million Cub mark

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Big Oil launches counteroffensive

Marc Geller — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:25:00 EST

Filed under: Legislation and Policy, Natural Gas, Oil Sands, North America

With all the attention being paid to alternative fuels, it is not surprising that Big Oil should launch a PR counteroffensive. The American Petroleum Institute (API), advertising itself as "the People of America's Oil and Natural Gas Industry," is running a new TV ad, Delivering America's Energy Security, which can be viewed at their website at energytomorrow.com. Their contention is that there is still so much oil under America that we can achieve energy independence without getting off oil for a long time. According to API, there are "112 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil beneath U.S. federal lands and coastal waters. That's enough oil to fuel 60 million cars for 60 years." Unfortunately, we already seem to have about 250,000,000 passenger vehicles in the U.S. And perhaps we don't have 60 years to reverse the effects of 100 years of gasoline-powered internal combustion.

[Source: American Petroleum Institute]

Big Oil launches counteroffensive originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New refinery to be built in South Dakota to process Canadian crude

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Oil Sands, Carbon Capture

When people think of South Dakota, assuming they think of the state at all, they probably remember the Black Hills, or Mount Rushmore. That may soon change. The largest supplier of crude oil to the United States is Canada and the majority of that oil comes from the oil sands of Alberta. Hyperion Resources has just begun the process of getting approval to build a new oil refinery in Elk Point, South Dakota specifically to process that oil. The first phase of the Hyperion Energy Center is planned to refine 400,000 barrels of oil sands crude per day. The plant will produce ultra-low-sulfur gasoline and diesel fuels.

The refinery is designed to be highly integrated, re-processing many of byproducts of the refining process to produce other necessary inputs. For example, petroleum coke from the distillation process will be used to make hydrogen, electricity and steam. The refinery is also being designed to incorporate the latest pollution control technology as well as carbon capture and sequestration. Construction of the $10 billion facility is expected to start in 2009, with full operation starting in 2014-15.

As advanced as this refinery might be, just imagine what new non-fossil fuel technology could be created with that $10 billion.

[Source: Hyperion Resources, thanks to Mark for the tip]

New refinery to be built in South Dakota to process Canadian crude originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Petro-Canada proceeding on new $25B oil-sands project

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 10:21:00 EST

Filed under: Oil Sands

Petro-Canada and their partners in Fort Hills Energy L.P. are moving ahead with engineering and design work on a new oil-sands development in northern Alberta that could ultimately cost $25 billion. If construction of the new facility is approved next year, production is scheduled to start in late 2011 with 140,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude oil. Once all the phases of the new project are finished in 2015 capacity will be about 280,000 barrels per day. Just imagine the progress that could be made on batteries, cellulosic biofuels, fuel cells and overall efficiency with the $25 billion!

[Source: Petro-Canada]

Petro-Canada proceeding on new $25B oil-sands project originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 01 Jul 2007 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AutoblogGreen Q&A: Nick Zielinski and Gary Smyth of General Motors

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:36:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, Solar, GM, AutoblogGreen Q & A, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Legislation and Policy, Coal to Liquid, Oil Sands, Carbon Capture

Following the Challenge-X presentation presentation at General Motors headquarters last week, a group of bloggers including myself, Matt Kelly of The Next Gear, Lyle Dennis of gm-volt.com, Todd Kaho of Green Car Journal, Scott Anderson of Hydrogen Forecast, Philip Proefrock of Ecogeek, and Matt Mayer of GroovyGreen.com were invited to sit down to dinner with Nick Zielinski and Gary Smyth of General Motors.

Nick is the Chief Engineer for the Volt program and Gary is the Director of Powertrain Systems Research and Development. Each will play a major role in shaping the direction and leading the teams that define the future of transportation at GM. We had a wide ranging discussion that covered topics ranging from a certain concept car as it advances toward production, battery and engine technology, various fuels including coal to liquid and more. I'm not providing a transcript for this one because of the number people in the discussion, and the length but it's definitely worth listening too. Unfortunately a jazz band started playing in the next room about 40 minutes in and that lasts about twenty minutes but you can still hear the discussion. The whole recording runs a few minutes shy of two hours and it's unedited.

Lyle gives his take on the discussion here, and you can listen to the whole thing here.

AutoblogGreen Q&A: Nick Zielinski and Gary Smyth of General Motors originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shell's "Eureka" extended commercial comes to DVD in WIRED

Sebastian Blanco — Sun, 20 May 2007 13:18:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Oil Sands

There is a ridiculously small number of people who have had their lives transformed into a movie. There number of people who have seen their lives spun into a nine-minute corporate commercial is even smaller.
Billed as "A story inspired by real events," the Shell Films commercial "Eureka" has been available for a while, but I hadn't seen it until this month's WIRED arrived. The issue is polybagged with a copy of the film on DVD. I figured I could spend nine minutes of my life I'll never get back on the agitprop, and let AutoblogGreen readers know if it's worth their time. It's not.

The film isn't poorly filmed or executed in any way - I've been to enough film festivals to know that it's easy to make uninspired short films - it's just not really fun to watch a well-lit press release. I'll summarize the film - with spoilers - and also put the YouTube stream of the movie (the clip above is the trailer) in case you want to decide for yourself after the jump. You can also watch the film over on the Shell website.

Related:

[Source: Shell, WIRED, YouTube]

Continue reading Shell's "Eureka" extended commercial comes to DVD in WIRED

Shell's "Eureka" extended commercial comes to DVD in WIRED originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 20 May 2007 13:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Expansion of Alberta oil sands production could increase CO2 by 30%

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:51:00 EST

Filed under: Oil Sands

Oil sands bitumen extraction cell - Wikipedia

The western Canadian province of Alberta comprises less than ten percent of the country's population but is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, due primarily to oil sands production. Extracting usable oil from tar sands requires a lot of heat, which mostly comes from burning natural gas. With the huge expansion in production that is planned over the next decade, greenhouse gas emissions that are already forty percent over their Kyoto accord targets, are expected to grow by another thirty percent.

Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner is now trying to find ways to make reductions in the emissions. Unfortunately, new regulations recently enacted by the Alberta government won't have much effect anytime soon. Some of the newest and biggest emitters have been given a nine year grace period to meet their reduction targets. If anything, new and large scale emitters should be on the cutting edge of making reductions. After all they have the greatest potential impact.

[Source: Calgary Herald]

Expansion of Alberta oil sands production could increase CO2 by 30% originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oil sands producers could shift to geothermal power

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:39:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Manufacturing/Plants, Oil Sands

Thanks to the increased cost of crude oil in recent years, there have been moves to make big expansions in oil production in northern Alberta, Canada. Alberta has some of the largest known petroleum reserves in the world, but unfortunately much of it is locked up in tar sands that need processing to extract the crude. The oil separation process uses hot water, and heating the water, takes energy. Traditionally oil sands production burned natural gas, and lots of it to heat the water, which of course means lots of CO2 emissions.

Now a consortium of oil companies called GeoPower in the Oil Sands (GeoPOS) wants to try a different approach. Oil sands production accounts for one-third of all natural gas consumption in Alberta, and that will increase dramatically in the coming years as production is increased. GeoPOS will be drilling a test well to evaluate geothermal energy as means to heat the water. The nuclear industry had been hoping build reactors in the region to supply energy for heating the water. Geothermal could provide the same constant energy source, as nuclear and unlike solar and wind power. Compared to a coal fired power plant geothermal produces only 0.1 kilograms of carbon per megawatt hour of generated electricity, as opposed to 185 kilograms. Geothermal would also avoid the waste disposal issues of nuclear power. Follow the Read link to learn more.

[Source: Toronto Star]

Oil sands producers could shift to geothermal power originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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