Canada Picks Engineering Group to Operate Nuclear Labs
Canada has selected a group of nuclear engineering and management firms, including SNC-Lavalin Group Inc, to operate a subsidiary of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford said on Friday. Ottawa picked the group, called Canadian National Energy Alliance, after a bidding process to run Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. (Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg)
Canada Gov't Asks Pipeline Regulator for Safety Guidelines by 2016
Canada's Conservative government has given the energy regulator about a year to deliver up-to-date guidelines for pipeline companies to improve safety and protect the environment. Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford instructed the National Energy Board to study the issue and report its findings with new safety guidelines by next year, according to a Feb. 5 letter released to Reuters through an access to information request.
US to Test Carbon Monitoring Tech at Oil Sands Project
The U.S. Department of Energy said on Wednesday it would spend up to $500,000 to test monitoring technologies at a Royal Dutch Shell Plc oil sands carbon-capture and storage facility under construction in northern Alberta. The department said it will field test advanced monitoring, verification and accounting technologies for the storage of carbon dioxide underground at the Quest project…
Canada Postpones Three Amigos Summit Amid Keystone XL Tension
Canada has quietly postponed a summit with the leaders of the United States and Mexico amid tensions over the construction of TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline and other issues, sources indicated on Thursday. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had been due to host U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto for the annual meeting of the so-called Three Amigos…
Canada's Oil Revenue Expectations are Modest
The Canadian government's expectations for oil revenues are modest and Ottawa will fulfill its promise to balance its budget this year despite the sharp fall in crude prices, Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford said on Wednesday. In estimating revenue, the government looks at oil prices over a 20- to 40-year period, he told a news conference, noting that the price of Canadian oil was discounted on the market.
Canada: Nebraska Court Clears Way for U.S. Keystone XL decision
Canada on Friday welcomed a Nebraska court decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, which it said cleared the way for Washington to finish deciding whether to approve the project. "This now clears the way for the State Department to complete the process," said Chris McCluskey, spokesman for Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford. "Our position on Keystone remains the same. We believe the project should be approved." Reporting by David Ljunggren and Randall Palmer
EU Lawmakers Fail to Approve Tar Sands Oil Veto
An attempt by some European politicians to veto the import of tar sands oil failed on Wednesday after a European Parliament vote, giving a boost to Canada but dismaying green campaigners. After years of lobbying from Canada, the European Commission published a new plan in October on reporting the greenhouse gas intensity of transport fuels. It abandoned the idea of labelling tar sands oil as highly polluting.
EU Abandons 'Dirty' Label for Canada Tar Sands Oil
A European Union plan to label Canadian tar sands oil as highly polluting as part of its fight against climate change has been abandoned after years of opposition from Canada, clearing the way for exports of tar sands crude to the European market. A proposal published by the European Commission on Tuesday removes what could have been an EU obstacle to shipments of the crude and comes at a time when tensions between the EU and its top oil supplier, Russia, are running high.
EU Abandons 'Dirty' Label for Canada Tar Sands Oil
A European Union plan to label Canadian tar sands oil as highly polluting as part of its fight against climate change has been abandoned after years of opposition from Canada, clearing the way for exports of tar sands crude to the European market. A proposal published by the European Commission on Tuesday removes what could have been an EU obstacle to shipments of the crude and comes at a time when tensions between the EU and its top oil supplier, Russia, are running high.
Alberta Bureaucrat Appointed To Head Canada's Energy Regulator
Peter Watson, a former senior bureaucrat in Alberta's provincial government, has been appointed as chair of Canada's national energy regulator, federal Energy Minister Greg Rickford said on Friday. He replaces Gaetan Caron, who stepped down earlier this month after a 35-year career with the National Energy Board. Watson, former deputy minister for Alberta Executive Council, the oil-rich province's senior cabinet group…
Canada Seeks Improved Ties with Aboriginals on Resource Deals
Stung by criticism that aboriginal groups have not been consulted enough on projects like the Northern Gateway pipeline, the Canadian government announced two initiatives on Tuesday to improve coordination with natives. Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford announced the creation of Major Projects Management Office West to serve as a single point for the federal government to coordinate…
Canada Revamps Pipeline Safety Rules Ahead Of New Projects
Canada unveiled new rules on Wednesday to enhance pipeline safety and spill response, ahead of the development of new projects proposed to carry crude from Alberta's oil sands to coastal ports for export. The new legislation will give Canada's energy regulator, the National Energy Board (NEB), more power to enforce compliance on safety and the authority to step in to lead spill response if a company is unwilling or unable to do so.
Severe Winter Boosts TransCanada Profit
TransCanada Corp, Canada's No.2 pipeline company and the backer of the Keystone XL pipeline, reported a 14 percent rise in adjusted quarterly profit as an unusually harsh winter in North America boosted demand for its pipelines. Delivery volumes rose 24 percent in the company's Canadian Mainline gas pipeline system and 14 percent in the NGTL system in Western Canada in the first three months of the year.
Canada Not Mulling NAFTA Challenge After Keystone Decision Delay
Canada is not considering a NAFTA challenge after the United States once again delayed its decision on approving TransCanada Corp's controversial Keystone XL pipeline, Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford told reporters on Friday. In recent weeks, some senior former Canadian officials have said that if U.S. President Barack Obama blocks the pipeline, Canada could launch a challenge…
Canada Urges US to Depoliticize Keystone XL
Canada new energy minister, Greg Rickford, said he hopes the Obama administration will "depoliticize" its decision on the Keystone XL pipeline soon, adding that he is hopeful Washington will eventually give the green light to the project. "Obviously we hope sooner rather than later that this is depoliticized, if you will, and that the communities along the pipeline, which include Canada and the United States can reap the tremendous economic benefits of Keystone…
