Energy Tomorrow Blog

Where the Buffalo Roam

alberta  canadian oil sands  domestic energy  energy  energy development  natural gas  oil sands  technology innovation 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 12, 2009

So you mine the oil sands, extract the oil, reclaim the land--and then what do you do? At the Syncrude oil sands operation in Alberta, you start a bison ranch--wood bison, to be specific. 

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Did You Know? Dial Before You Dig

colonial pipeline  energy  energy iq 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 11, 2009

Did you know that today is National 811 Day? It's a date set aside by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) to promote awareness of underground utilities through the use of the nationwide "811" call-in number for individuals, companies and governments preparing to dig. 

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Bitumen Production via Steam

alberta  canadian oil sands  domestic energy  energy  energy development  oil sands  technology innovation 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 11, 2009

Day Two of the oil sands tour, August 7 - About 60 kilometers southeast of Ft. McMurray, Alberta, ConocoPhillips is producing crude oil from oil sands using a process called in-situ development. In concept, in-situ development sounds fairly simple. The oil sands are heated underground with steam, gravity pulls the hot oil down toward a wellbore, and the oil is brought to the surface.

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Harvesting Oil Sands

alberta  canadian oil sands  domestic energy  energy  energy development  oil sands  technology innovation 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 10, 2009

Day one of the oil sands tour, Aug. 6 - We're standing in a quarry where a steady stream of 380-ton to 400-ton, multi-story vehicles roll in and out, accepting loads of oil sands. As soon as one vehicle is loaded, another one takes its place next to the huge shovel that scrapes the oil sands from the black, sandy quarry wall. 

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On the Road in Alberta

alberta  canadian oil sands  domestic energy  energy  energy development  oil sands  technology innovation 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 7, 2009

6:35 a.m., Ft. McMurray, Alberta -- In just a few minutes, I'll leave this hotel room to join today's tour to ConocoPhillips' Surmont oil sands facility. But before I go, here are a few observations about the oil sands deposits here in Alberta. 

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New Rule Penalizes Petroleum

crude oil  demand  energy  energy reality  prices  supply  ftc 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 6, 2009

Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new petroleum market "price manipulation" rule that could lead to a less competitive market--hurting American consumers of gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products. Furthermore, it could discourage companies from providing information to the marketplace. 

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Canada Bound

canada  canadian oil sands  domestic energy  energy  oil sands  technology innovation 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 5, 2009

Occasionally, I'm offered the opportunity to visit oil and natural gas field operations at various places around the Northern Hemisphere. This week I'll be traveling to Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada, to see how oil sands are converted into crude oil.

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Starting Over in the Senate

climate bill  climate change  energy  energy policy  over regulation  waxman-markey 

Mark Green
Posted August 4, 2009

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Energy Tomorrow Radio: Episode 87 - Hurricane Preparedness

energy  gulf of mexico  hurricane preparedness  hurricanes  katrina  oil pipelines  fuel supply  gustav  hurricane season 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 4, 2009

In this week's episode, I talk with Al Mannato, fuels issues manager at API, about how the oil and natural gas industry plans to continue supplying fuels to the United States in the aftermath of hurricanes. 

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Airing the Truth

air quality  emissions  energy  epa  over regulation  ultra-low sulfur diesel 

Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 4, 2009

There's no doubt about it--the air is much cleaner today than it was a few years ago. The City of Los Angeles is no longer engulfed in a brown haze; the air in the Ohio Valley now has a crisp, clean smell; and Milwaukee residents are breathing easier than ever before.

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