Canada’s oil sands resource is one of the most valuable resources in that country. Many people want to develop it and many others do not. Lisa Raitt, Canadian Natural Resources Minister and her staff are lobbying in the United States to promote development.
In the ranking of the world’s proven oil reserves, Canada stands behind only Saudi Arabia. Canada possesses an estimated 178.6 billion barrels of crude oil accessible using current technology. Of this reserve, 174 billion barrels are in Alberta’s Athabasca oil sand fields.
The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline could be Canada’s largest construction project or it could be a casualty of an abundance of natural gas flowing from organic shales in many parts of the United States.
A resident of Grimsby, Ontario found a smashed windshield in her SUV and then heard reports that researchers were looking for meteorites from a fireball that passed over the town on September 25. A video of the fireball is below.
Boeing and Skyhook hope to use giant blimps to lift heavy cargo such as oil rigs and pipeline equipment into Canada’s far north. The method might not only be cheaper than overland transport but would also have a lower environmental impact.
The Oil and Gas Journal reports on a company in New Brunswick, Canada that has used propane instead of water to fracture a subsurface natural gas reservoir.
An article in the Calgary Herald explores Canadian natural gas trends. Conventional production has been falling rapidly in response to costs. And, while unconventional production is climbing, it might not climb fast enough to replace the rate of conventional decline.
Petroglyphs, sometimes known as “rock art,” are images cut into or scribed onto a stone surface by people. They are often produced as a form or art or communication. This photo gallery features petroglyphs from worldwide locations including: Arizona, British Columbia, California, Chile, Hawaii, India, Mexico, Namibia, Nevada, New Mexico, Norway, Ontario, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Utah, Virgin Islands, Washington.
“In late August 2009, ice clogged some but not all of the Northwest Passage, and snow had retreated from most of the islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.” Quoted from the image release at Earth Observatory.
Here is a gallery of ten spectacular images of lakes at various worldwide locations. In addition to the impressive photos, each lake has at least one unusual attribute. You have probably not heard of most of these.
Today is the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Burgess Shale fossils by Charles Walcott in British Columbia, Canada. One reason for their fame is that they are an excellent example of soft-bodied preservation of Middle Cambrian organisms.
“American and Canadian scientists are working to map the Arctic seafloor and gather data to help define the outer limits of the continental shelf. This mission will emphasize the region north of Alaska onto Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge and eastwards toward the Canada Archipelago. This is the second year the United States and Canada have collaborated in extended continental shelf data collection in the Arctic. Both countries plan to work together again in 2010.” Quoted from the USGS News Release.
Hurricane Bill is still moving north off the eastern coast of the United States. It is expected to miss New England but cause waves, wind and strong currents along the coast. Tropical storm and hurricane watches are in effect for portions of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
Someone has been bombing natural gas pipelines in Northeastern British Columbia. Some believe that it is a case of eco-terrorism against EnCana Corporation.
An article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Horn River Basin in northeastern British Columbia is turning out to be one of the largest shale gas plays in North America.
“Fifty years of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research on glacier change shows recent dramatic shrinkage of glaciers in three climatic regions of the United States. These long periods of record provide clues to the climate shifts that may be driving glacier change.” Quoted from the USGS release
The number of oil and gas rigs operating in the United States was up to 948 at the end of last week. This is the second week of increase after a long series of declines from the high of 1606 in September of 2008. The Baker Hughes website has lots of data, charts and maps to illustrate the history of US drilling activity back to 1944.
The United States and Canada are jointly conducting a survey of the Arctic Ocean. They are mapping the outer edge of the continental shelf to prepare their claim for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
A collection of petroglyph photos from Arizona, British Columbia, California, Chile, Hawaii, India, Mexico, Namibia, Nevada, New Mexico, Norway, Ontario, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Utah, Virgin Islands, Washington.
“The sea ice retreat captured in this image appears typical of seasonal melt. Since the turn of the twenty-first century, however, Arctic sea ice extent has declined sharply, experiencing a series of low summertime extents and poor wintertime recoveries. Arctic sea ice extent set a record low in September 2007. As of July 22, 2009, the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that, in the first half of July 2009, sea ice declined faster than it did in 2008, but not as fast as it did in 2007.” Quoted from Earth Observatory.
Paleoclimatologists at the University at Buffalo report on research that indicates…. “Modern glaciers, such as those making up the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, are capable of undergoing periods of rapid shrinkage or retreat.”
A study published in the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education shows the benefits of wood-burning stoves. Wood is a sustainable energy source, can be carbon neutral, and is cheaper than some fossil fuels.
“Scientists struggling to understand how Earth’s climate will change in the next few decades have neglected a potential treasure trove of information — sediments deposited in the ocean by major Arctic rivers such as the Colville and Mackenzie Rivers.” Quoted from the University of Texas at Austin release.
There are very few point sources of mercury in the Arctic, however, researchers have found significant amounts of mercury being delivered by the Mackenzie River into the Arctic Ocean.
Leadership positions in the gem-quality diamond production race are constantly changing as new discoveries are made and old mines are worked out. This article charts diamond production geographically and over time.
The oil sands in Alberta, Canada are an important source of crude oil. However, more efficient and environmentally friendly methods of extraction are needed.
An article in the Regina Leader-Post tells the story of Charles Walcott and how he discovered the Burgess Shale fauna. This July marks the 100th anniversary of his discovery.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Burgess Shale fauna discovery, which many paleontologists call “the most important fossil discovery in history”.
Getting oil out of the Canadian oil sands is an expensive venture. New climate change agreements might make them so expensive to develop that they will not be a viable fuel source.
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