Canada’s tar sands could be good news for Alaska oil and gas

To the editor:

Once again Paul Jenkins is crying “Wolf.” He’s saying “Oil is drying up — and we should be worried.” Then he refers to negative statements from Kevin Meyers, Conoco Phillips Senior Vice President (Anchorage Daily News Oct. 8, 2010).

Jenkins should not listen to what oil companies are saying, but watch what they’re doing. TransCanada is busy in Nebraska buying right of way for Keystone XL Pipeline. This 36-inch diameter steel line, as proposed, will extend from the tar sands of western Canada to interect with a pipeline near the Kansas border, for a total distance of over 1,700 miles. The line is scheduled to be built in 2011-12. It would more than double the capacity to ship tar sand oil to refineries in Texas and Oklahoma. A labor contract with U.S. unions is expected to create more than 7 million hours of labor. It will provide more than 13,000 new jobs. That’s impressive!

Many Nebraskans are worried the line could contaminate the Nebraska Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest in the world. A project of this magnitute will likely continue, even if it’s necessary to bypass the area completely.

How does this relate to Alaska? Canada would like to use our natural gas to heat the tar sands, releasing oil, then pump it out. This would require building the Alberta pipeline. Then Exxon could proceed with full development of Point Thomson gas field. And other companies do likewise. Drilling for gas will produce more oil, which helps fill the trans-Alaska pipeline. This may happen soon than later. Let’s hope so.

Ken Wright

Palmer