Lack of pipeline threatening Canadian oil industry
Canada’s oil sands need new pipelines to new markets
A build-up of oil-sands production without sufficient pipeline capacity to take all the new oil to consumers threatens the long-term viability of the developments, believes Alberta’s government. The province’s premier, Alison Redford, summed up the problem in a catch-phrase called the “bitumen bubble”, which has caught on in a general public concerned for the future viability of oil-sands exports. Her theory, shared by some analysts, is that rising output from the oil sands will by 2016 eclipse the pipeline capacity that links the projects with refiners. This would drive down the price of Canada’s oil, which would be heavily discounted against higher quality or more accessible oil closer to
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation
