Alberta’s energy regulator has confirmed hazardous chemicals are present in a small waterbody after two releases of tailings-contaminated wastewater from Imperial Oil’s Kearl oilsands mine. In an update released Tuesday, the agency said hydrocarbons and naphthenic acids have been found in an unnamed fish-bearing lake located almost entirely within Imperial’s lease about 70 kilometres north…

Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Canada’s largest petroleum refiner, is taking steps to prevent toxic, tailings-contaminated water from leaking onto Crown lands from one of its oil-sands sites located in Alberta following an order from the federal government. The leak has been ongoing for months and follows an original spill of over 5 million litres of…

Besides estimating the amount of foreign funding going to environmental groups seeking to landlock Alberta’s oil and gas, a recent report from a government-commissioned inquiry highlighted a number of other issues related to funding and transparency. The first recommendation in the report, written by commissioner Steve Allan, is to improve transparency and accountability in the…

Besides estimating the amount of foreign funding going to environmental groups seeking to landlock Alberta’s oil and gas, a recent report from a government-commissioned inquiry highlighted a number of other issues related to funding and transparency. The first recommendation in the report, written by commissioner Steve Allan, is to improve transparency and accountability in the…

The highest oil prices in seven years will encourage drilling, investment, and employment in Canada’s energy sector, but not as much as in past years, say analysts. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price exceeded US$79.10 per barrel on Oct. 5,  and some analysts expect prices to rise higher still. The last time the price was…