28 March 2010 – Issue : 879
The Anglo-Dutch oil major Royal Dutch Shell Plc look set to be grilled again by environmental group Greenpeace.
The latest action by Greenpeace would focus on their exploitation of Canadian oil sands, according to local media reports.
Greenpeace reportedly plans to launch more short-term actions to disrupt production in the Canadian oil sands over frustration with government handling of the industry.
Last year, Greenpeace actions temporarily disrupted crude production at Suncor Energy Incs Alberta oil sands operation and production at two of Royal Dutch Shells facilities in the western Canadian province.
Royal Dutch Shell has however said it plans to produce oil from Canadas oil sands for 40 years and that the earnings on their Alberta operations yielded 67% more from than from projects elsewhere between 2005 and 2009.
According to industry observers, the monetary incentive appears to be too great for the company to back down to Greenpeace. Shell earned $20 a barrel from oilsand mining on average between 2005 and 2009, more than the $12 a barrel it gained from extraction projects excluding oilseeds. Oilsands contributed $3.1 billion to Shells earnings in the period. Greenpeace says extraction of oil from Canadas oil sands is damaging to the environment and nearby communities.
Canada is the largest foreign oil supplier to the United States, and about half the countrys crude oil supplies are derived from the oil sands.
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