Published: Jun 16, 2008

By: Mary Griffiths, Simon Dyer

Oil sands production in northern Alberta could triple by 2020, to four million barrels a day. As a result of this increasing oil sands production, a major industrial expansion of bitumen upgraders is underway northeast of Edmonton. This so called "Upgrader Alley" is expected to handle early half the oil sands production, right on Edmonton’s doorstep.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: May 26, 2008

By: Jennifer Grant, Dan Woynillowicz, Simon Dyer

Oil sands mining has transformed the Athabasca region of northeastern Alberta, and every year the lack of effective reclamation standards and the poor reclamation record of the oil sands mining industry becomes a bigger and bigger problem.

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Download the full report.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: Apr 7, 2008

By: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Steve Kennett

This checklist by the Pembina Institute and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is a tool to accompany our companion report entitled Alberta by Design: Blueprint for an Effective Land-Use Framework which contains details and regional case studies on the issue of land use in Alberta.

The Government of Alberta initiated the development of the Alberta Land-Use Framework in response to the acknowledged need for a new approach to managing land use. This checklist presents the core principles and a list of the key elements that can be used to objectively assess the Alberta government's Land-Use Framework once it is released.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: Jan 10, 2008

By: Jeremy Moorhouse, Katie Laufenberg, Rob Powell, WWF, Simon Dyer

This fact sheet summarizes the key points from the Pembina Institute and WWF-Canada report Under-Mining the Oil Sands. The full report is the most comprehensive comparative assessment of 10 of Alberta's operating, approved or applied for oil sands mines. The first of its kind, this report finds that for the most part oil sands mines get a failing grade.

Oil sands mines were ranked on 20 different environmental indicators in five categories: environmental management, land impacts, air pollution, water use, and management of greenhouse gases.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: May 22, 2007

By: Amy Taylor

This fact sheet presents three options for oil sands royalty reform. All three options strike a balance between ensuring reasonable return for companies and maximizing earnings for Albertans, who own the resource, for this non-renewable resource. Solutions and recommendations are also described.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: May 15, 2007

By: Amy Taylor

The Pembina Institute commissioned Probe Research Inc., a professional research and survey organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to conduct a study to gauge public attitudes toward the environmental and economic impacts of oil sands development in Alberta.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: May 8, 2007

By: Simon Dyer

These poll results are Part 1 of a two-part survey commissioned by the Pembina Institute to gauge Albertans' perceptions of oil sands development. Part 1, focuses on Albertans' perceptions of the pace and scale of oil sands development. The results of Part 2, which focuses on Albertans' perspectives on royalties and economic issues associated with oil sands development, was released on May 15, 2007.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: May 7, 2007

By: Simon Dyer

This exclusive media background document summarizes poll results concerning Albertans' opinions on the management of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil sands. These results are part of a more extensive poll covering Albertans' opinions on the environmental and economic impact of the oil sands development that will be released May 8 and May 14 2007.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: Apr 11, 2007

By: Dan Woynillowicz, Peggy Holroyd, Simon Dyer

This 4 page fact sheet highlights the key problems with the manner in which the Government of Alberta grants the initial rights to companies to explore for and develop oil sands. Recommendations for improving the process are also presented.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: Nov 29, 2006

By: Amy Taylor, Marlo Raynolds

This four page summary takes a critical look at the tax and royalty treatment of Alberta's oil sands. An outdated royalty regime and federal tax breaks are costing Albertans and Canadians money in the form of forgone tax and royalty revenues. Between 1996 and 2005, royalty revenue per barrel of oil from oil sands   declined 32% and the federal government lost up to $1.65 billion in tax revenue. Albertans as owners of the oil sands need to demand that their resource manager, the Minister of Energy get them a better deal for oil sands developments. And Canadians need to demand that the Federal Minister of Finance eliminate subsidies to a very profitable industry.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands

Published: Oct 23, 2006

By: Pembina Institute

The oil sands are projected to contribute up to 47% of the projected business-as-usual growth in Canada's total emissions between 2003 and 2010, making them the single largest contributor to GHG pollution growth. This fact sheet highlights the key findings of Pembina's full report entitled Carbon Neutral by 2020: A Leadership Opportunity in Canada's Oil Sands and provides a sample cost analysis showing how oil sands companies could achieve "carbon neutral" (no net GHG pollution) production for as little as a few dollars per barrel of oil.

Publication Type: Briefing Notes, Summaries & Fact Sheets

Topic Area: Oil Sands