CALGARY - The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is inviting public and Indigenous comment on a Suncor Energy Inc. project to open a new mine in order to extend the life of its base oilsands processing facilities near Fort McMurray in northern Alberta. The agency, which replaced the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency last summer, says written comments will be accepted until March 23 to support the preparation of a summary of issues to be provided to Suncor. It says those issues will [Read more]
Headlines
Heavy discount remains narrow before turnarounds as new monthly trading cycle begins
Canadian heavy crude's discount traded in a narrow range versus the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude on Monday, reflecting anticipation of some oil production going offline for maintenance soon, on the first day of the month's trading cycle. Western Canada Select (WCS) heavy blend crude for April delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, was trading at $13.50 per barrel below WTI, according to NE2 Canada Inc, slightly narrower than Friday's settle in thin trading of $13.55 [Read more]
Alberta boosts oil well clean-up to create jobs
The oil-producing Canadian province of Alberta is increasing its financial support for cleaning up wells without owners, addressing an environmental liability as it creates jobs in the slumping industry. Premier Jason Kenney said on Monday that Alberta would loan up to C$100 million ($74.95 million) to the Orphan Well Association, which is funded by energy companies, to decommission 1,000 additional wells, doubling its pace. The move will create as many as 500 direct and indirect jobs for [Read more]
Quebec activists maintain rail blockades despite tentative deal in B.C.
MONTREAL - Protesters in two regions of Quebec are maintaining their rail blockades for the time being in spite of a draft deal reached Sunday in British Columbia between Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and senior government ministers. Kenneth Deer, the secretary of the Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake, says the community will meet later today to discuss whether to dismantle the blockade they've maintained on their territory south of Montreal since Feb. 8. Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and [Read more]
Oil bounces from multi-year lows as hopes of OPEC+ cut, stimulus offset virus impact
Oil prices pared losses after earlier hitting multi-year lows on Monday as hopes that a bigger than expected production cut from OPEC and stimulus from central banks could offset economic gloom from the coronavirus outbreak. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude hit a 14-month low of $43.32 a barrel, before recovering to $45.23, up 47 cents, or 1.1%. Brent crude was at $50.32 a barrel, up 65 cents, or 1.3%, by 0105 GMT, after earlier dropping to $48.40, the lowest since July 2017. Flight [Read more]
Wet’suwet’en supporters of pipeline don’t think their message is being heard
SMITHERS, B.C. - Bonnie George walked out of the Office of the Wet'suwet'en holding her hands up in the air in a triumphant gesture. Just hours earlier, the Wet'suwet'en matriarch and former Coastal GasLink employee had complained about being locked out of the office and her voice not being heard. Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs were meeting with senior government ministers over a pipeline dispute that's sparked national protests and led to railways and roads being shut down. The talks [Read more]
MEG Energy asks Alberta to shelve oil sands project
Canada's MEG Energy Corp has asked Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) for a three-year delay to the approval process of a proposed oil sands project in the province, because of what it called continuing difficulties, the Globe and Mail reported. MEG cited Alberta's economic malaise and a lack of investors in the oil sands, as well as overloaded pipelines, in a letter late last year to the AER requesting a hold on the regulator's approval, the report said on Monday. MEG could not be immediately [Read more]
Upcoming CAPL Courses and Lunch & Learns
Here is the upcoming list of courses offered by CAPL. For more information, click on a course link below or visit landman.ca March 3, 2020 (Tuesday) 11:30 - 13:30 Mineral Engagement Speaker Session 2 Presented by Gowlings March 5, 2020 (Thursday) 10:00 - 12:00 Indigenous Consultation and Law (PSL) *New Course March 12, 2020 (Thursday) 09:00 - 12:00 Acquisitions & Dispositions - Technical & Operations (Morning) *New Course March 19, 2020 [Read more]
Canada and indigenous group reach tentative deal in dispute that led to road, rail blockades
Canadian authorities on Sunday reached a tentative deal with an indigenous group in the Pacific province of British Columbia that could end solidarity protests across Canada that have been blocking rail lines and roads for weeks. Activists have disrupted passenger and freight traffic to show solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en people, who are seeking to stop TC Energy Corp's Coastal GasLink pipeline from being built across their land. After three days of talks in which work on the pipeline [Read more]
Canadian National Railway starts calling back employees laid off during rail blockade
Canadian National Railway Co has started calling back many of the 450 workers it laid off earlier this month in eastern Canada, when blockades crippled operations on strategic rail lines, according to a company email sent to customers on Friday. Earlier this week, police made 10 arrests and cleared a blockade in eastern Canada that had been stopping freight and passenger traffic for almost three weeks on one of Canada's busiest lines. The blockades were held in solidarity with the [Read more]