oilsands

The Fort McMurray wildfire has disrupted global oil supplies even more than the ramped up attacks in May by militants in Nigeria, a U.S. government energy agency said on Thursday.

"Today there continues an existential threat to this industry," Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said in a speech at the Calgary Petroleum Club.

An out of control wildfire in northern Alberta has prompted Cenovus Energy Inc. to evacuate its Pelican Lake heavy oil facility.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says its member oil companies can continue to be serious about climate change even after the energy industry builds several new pipelines.

A plastic bucket and a large tank that were meant to simulate the Vancouver coast could soon become part of a new legal challenge against a major pipeline expansion project.

The 10−chapter document wasn’t released publicly, but an analysis of technological risks will be added once it is completed, the company said Monday.

Experts like Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz expect the disaster to have Canada-wide economic consequences.

“There’s no money on earth that can put out a fire like Fort McMurray,” said Glenn Mason. “If you build your community right into the forest, sooner or later that’s going to be a problem."

A few days ago Mike Flannigan travelled to Fort McMurray as part a special scientific research team studying the raging wildfire.

Writing in the science journal Nature this week, researchers say Alberta's oilsands are one of the biggest sources of air pollution in North America, on par with cities such as Paris and Mexico City.

The bison herd on the Syncrude's Mildred Lake property is doing well, even with fires raging nearby.

"As every day goes by, we continue to run this thing down and continue to secure it," said Alberta Wildfire manager Chad Morrison.