Progress and Problems

Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Former Alberta Energy Minister Murray Smith claims that Canada could eventually export as much as one million barrels a day of oil sands produc­tion to China. "Our main link would still be with the U.S., but this would give us multiple markets and competition for a prized resource," Smith claimed.44

Forecasts of oil sands production could be substantially exceeded if research and development projects such as VAPEX and Whitesands over­come environmental, economic, and resource challenges to further unlock the world's largest oil deposits, with far-reaching global impact.

NOTES:

38. National Energy Board, Canada’s Oil Sands: Opportunities and Challenges to 2015 (Calgary, May 2004).
39. Based on data derived from Canada’s oil sands and heavy oil (Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Calgary, 2000).
40. Ibid.
41. Melanie Collison, “Hot About THAI,” Oilweek, Mar. 1, 2004.
42. Alberta Government, “Enrgy Research Helping Reduce CO2 Emissions” (news release, Sept. 4, 2003).
43. Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Canadian Crude Oil Production and Supply Forecast, 2004-2015 (Calgary, July 2004).
44. Simon Remero, “China Emerging as U.S. Rival for canada’s Oil,” New York Times, Dec. 23, 2004.

From The Great Canadian Oil Patch, pgs. 357 to 360, reprinted with kind permission of JuneWarren Publishing and Mr. Earle Gray