Canadian First Nations and environmentalists have joined a U.S. lawsuit aimed at overturning a decision that opens an Alaska wilderness to oil and gas exploration. The Gwich'In Tribal Council, which represents people in five communities in the Northwest Territories and Yukon, is now part of the lawsuit that was filed in an Alaskan court today. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society has also signed onto the lawsuit, which names the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and [Read more]

CALGARY - Canadian exports of crude oil by rail fell to an eight-year low in June as North American fuel demand remained low due to measures taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canada Energy Regulator says rail shipments of oil in June fell to about 42,820 barrels per day, down from 58,000 bpd in May and 156,000 bpd in April. Shipments were 10 times as high in February, when they reached a record high of 412,000 bpd. Rail transportation of crude oil is considered to be more [Read more]

CALGARY - The Canada Energy Regulator says its expects oil production in Canada will average 4.38 million barrels per day this year, down by 6.6 per cent compared with 2019. The federal regulator says it expects oil production to gradually recover over the balance of 2020 after producers halted what analysts estimate was as much as one million bpd at times due to low prices during the COVID-19 pandemic economic slowdown. The average production in Canada in 2019 was 4.69 million bpd, up [Read more]

CALGARY - The Alberta Energy Regulator says it has laid charges against Land Petroleum International Inc. and president Bill Fung for hindering AER inspections in 2018. The provincial regulator says eight charges have been jointly laid against the company and Fung under the Oil and Gas Conservation Act, which provides for penalties of up to $500,000 in fines for a company and $50,000 for an individual. It says the charges are related to facility inspections near Ponoka in central Alberta [Read more]

EDMONTON - The Alberta government says it plans to join three other provinces in exploring small-scale nuclear technology. New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Ontario signed a memorandum of understanding in December regarding development of small modular reactors. Alberta says in a news release that it will also enter into the agreement to help diversify its energy sector. All four provinces oppose the federally mandated carbon tax on pollution. Alberta says small modular reactors, or [Read more]

OTTAWA - Canada's energy regulator has named a new advisory committee that aims to change how it interacts with Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The Indigenous advisory committee, which includes eight First Nations and Metis individuals from across Canada, is part of legislation the Liberals brought in last year to impose new rules for environmental assessments. Cassie Doyle, chair of the Canada Energy Regulator's board of directors, says the committee will not deal with specific projects or [Read more]