BOE Report

Environmentalists to Obama: Nix pipeline regardless of Canada’s climate vows

OTTAWA - American environmentalists are urging the White House not to make any deals with Canada that would green-light TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline — even if America's neighbour to the north gets tougher on carbon emissions.The letter to U.S. President Barack Obama from a coalition of environmental leaders, as well as liberal organizations, argues that Keystone cannot exist alongside efforts to contain climate change."Our rationale is simple," the letter read. "Building Keystone XL will [Read more]

Federal officials, First Nations meeting to talk pipelines, energy concerns

OTTAWA - Representatives of the federal government are in British Columbia this week to hear from First Nations about their concerns over the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and other energy projects in Western Canada.The Vancouver meetings were arranged earlier this month to give top bureaucrats from seven federal departments an opportunity to hear aboriginals' views on energy and infrastructure projects.Chief Andy Phillips of the Scowlitz First Nation said the main topic of conversation at [Read more]

Alberta issues environmental protection order for Primrose oilsands project

COLD LAKE, Alta. - The Primrose oilsands project in northern Alberta has been issued an environmental protection order.The Alberta government says Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (TSX:CNQ) must remove most of the water from one of its bitumen leak sites before it freezes.The government says in a release that removing the water from the affected waterbody will help permanent containment measures be put in place over the winter.The water can be restored next spring.In July, the Calgary-based [Read more]

Harper, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe talk shale gas in Ottawa

OTTAWA - Japan's visiting prime minister is keen to talk to Prime Minister Stephen Harper about exporting Canadian shale gas to his energy-hungry country.Shinzo Abe is in Ottawa for a brief visit before heading to the United Nations General Assembly this week.Harper will also be in New York, but unlike Abe he won't be addressing the assembly — a decision seen by some analysts as part of an ongoing snub of the UN.Harper welcomed Abe to his Parliament Hill office, where Japanese officials say [Read more]

Russia to file piracy charges against Greenpeace

MURMANSK, Russia - Russian investigators said Tuesday that they will file piracy charges against Greenpeace activists who tried to climb onto an offshore drilling platform in the Arctic owned by the state-controlled gas company Gazprom.The activists are on a Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, that was seized last week by the Russian Coast Guard and towed Tuesday into a port near Murmansk.It was unclear how many of the 30 activists from 18 countries face piracy charges, which carry a potential [Read more]

Shots fired at pipe at Alberta oilfield site

FOX CREEK, Alta. - Mounties say they are looking for those responsible for shooting an above-ground pipe at an oilfield site in northwestern Alberta.RCMP say they got a complaint Sunday night about shots fired at a remote oilfield site north of Fox Creek, about 260 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.Police say workers reported hearing about five shots, and shortly after, they found a pipe used to transport water was severely damaged and spraying water.Police say two people were seen in the area [Read more]

Alberta securities watchdog accuses Poseidon Concepts of obstruction of justice

CALGARY - The Alberta Securities Commission is accusing Poseidon Concepts Corp. of obstruction of justice, alleging that the troubled Calgary-based firm altered the minutes of board of director and audit committee meetings before handing them to the watchdog.In March, Poseidon was ordered to provide the signed minutes of meetings held between Nov. 1, 2011 and Feb. 28, 2013. A month later, the company sent over electronic copies of the documents."The minutes provided to staff were altered from [Read more]

BC offers $116 million LNG royalty credits

VICTORIA - The B.C. government is offering royalty credits of almost $116 million to help companies build roads and pipelines for the natural gas industry in the province's northeast.The announcement comes on the same day as the release of a major environmental report urging the government to stick to its pledge to build the cleanest liquefied natural gas industry in the world.The Tides Canada report says the current plans by the LNG industry would will emit three-times more carbon into the [Read more]

Oil falls toward $104 a barrel as Syria risk fades

The price of oil slipped closer to $104 a barrel Monday despite positive economic news out of China and Europe, as the risk premium associated with the Syrian crisis diminished. By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for November delivery was down 34 cents to $104.41 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the now expired contract for October delivery dropped $1.72 to close at $104.67. Analysts said the apparent progress being made in the elimination of [Read more]

Keystone foes celebrate barn in project’s path

YORK, Neb. — Opponents of the Keystone XL oil pipeline celebrated the completion of a barn built in the project’s expected path on Sunday while U.S. officials continue to weigh whether to approve the pipeline. Pipeline opponents planned several events to thank volunteers and mark the completion of the solar- and wind-powered barn. Billionaire investor and philanthropist Tom Steyer was scheduled to speak at Sunday’s dedication ceremony. Steyer has spent more than $2 million fighting the [Read more]