Exactly. Voting in anger rarely achieves the desired results in the long term. Politicians today know all to well that an angry voter is not a thinking voter, and that it's easier for them to give the voters a target for their anger rather than actually talk about why it would be better put them in power.
Yeah, I don't get this. Sure the oil industry is one big confusing jumble of corporate and political interests, but the US makes more oil than they use. WTF ? Same goes for Canada, We produce enough oil on our own to run the whole country and still have enough left over to export, our problem s getting Alberta oil to domestic markets east of Manitoba. What's in the way ? Politicians.
Politicians lack common sense. So do most voters.
Alberta has the upgrading capacity to produce 1.5 million bbls/day of synthetic crude, virtually identical to light crude in that it can be refined in a conventional refinery. Most of that is now used as a diluent to ship bitumen to the US, but with adequate domestic distribution could supply over half of Canada's domestic needs.
Suncor is shipping their Oil all the way to Montreal from Ft. Mac, see Line 9 reversal, the shame is no other refineries are
Good luck with the distribution system. The terminally clueless would rather freeze in the dark than have a pipeline deliver Canadian products to Canadians.
Gee that's odd eh? Refineries only able to take specific feedstock? Who knew? What are they taking out and selling off at the upgraders?
Upgraders produce synthetic crude, any refinery can use that stuff. CNRL, Suncor Base Plant and the old Syncrude site at Mildred Lake all have on-site upgraders, as does Shell's Scotford refinery in Fort Saskatchewan. Bitumin needs a high conversion refinery and Canada only has one at present, which is devoted exclusively to making diesel fuel.
Not to my knowledge, heavy oil only there.
I'm not talking about heavy oil at all, I'm talking about bitumen. Most of what is removed from bitumen when it is upgraded is sulphur, there are monster stacks of it at all the sites I have worked at where upgrading is performed. Some heavy metals too I believe. Typically the big difference between heavy crude and bitumen is viscosity. Processed bitumen has the consistency of peanut butter and cannot be transported by pipeline without first being diluted. Common diluents for bitumen leaving Alberta are synthetic crude and natural gas condensates. But why am I telling you this, you already know everything, right ?
