Tar sands producers are laying tracks to sidestep Keystone XL. (Photo by irispectrum via Flickr)
Nov 13, 2012
As activists wait anxiously to see if Obama will rectify the Keystone XL pipeline that was postponed in 2011, at least wiley one Canadian tar sands producer is taking steps towards an alternate path to the Gulf.
The Canadian Herald is reporting that, in a few short weeks, Southern Pacific Resources is set to open a dedicated rail terminal "just south of Fort McMurray, [Alberta] and will ship its product in leased tanker cars via CN Rail all the way to Natchez, Miss." The piece continues:
From there, it's just a short barge ride down the Mississippi River to one of the eight refineries in Louisiana, where the crude will fetch $20 to $30 a barrel more than it could at the congested terminal hub in Cushing, Okla.
While Canadian and U.S. railways are scrambling to meet demand, opening small terminals close to production in locations such as the Bakken area of southern Saskatchewan and North Dakota, the Athabasca oilsands have not been part of the rush. Until now.
Though Southern Pacific estimates it will cost $31 to ship via rail compared with $8 for pipeline shipping, unlike pipelines there are no required public hearings and no environmental protests.
As Brian Merchant writes on Treehugger, "this is looking like an increasingly viable option for oil companies with a glut of supply on their hands, and who hope to sidestep the pipeline process."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As activists wait anxiously to see if Obama will rectify the Keystone XL pipeline that was postponed in 2011, at least wiley one Canadian tar sands producer is taking steps towards an alternate path to the Gulf.
The Canadian Herald is reporting that, in a few short weeks, Southern Pacific Resources is set to open a dedicated rail terminal "just south of Fort McMurray, [Alberta] and will ship its product in leased tanker cars via CN Rail all the way to Natchez, Miss." The piece continues:
From there, it's just a short barge ride down the Mississippi River to one of the eight refineries in Louisiana, where the crude will fetch $20 to $30 a barrel more than it could at the congested terminal hub in Cushing, Okla.
While Canadian and U.S. railways are scrambling to meet demand, opening small terminals close to production in locations such as the Bakken area of southern Saskatchewan and North Dakota, the Athabasca oilsands have not been part of the rush. Until now.
Though Southern Pacific estimates it will cost $31 to ship via rail compared with $8 for pipeline shipping, unlike pipelines there are no required public hearings and no environmental protests.
As Brian Merchant writes on Treehugger, "this is looking like an increasingly viable option for oil companies with a glut of supply on their hands, and who hope to sidestep the pipeline process."
As activists wait anxiously to see if Obama will rectify the Keystone XL pipeline that was postponed in 2011, at least wiley one Canadian tar sands producer is taking steps towards an alternate path to the Gulf.
The Canadian Herald is reporting that, in a few short weeks, Southern Pacific Resources is set to open a dedicated rail terminal "just south of Fort McMurray, [Alberta] and will ship its product in leased tanker cars via CN Rail all the way to Natchez, Miss." The piece continues:
From there, it's just a short barge ride down the Mississippi River to one of the eight refineries in Louisiana, where the crude will fetch $20 to $30 a barrel more than it could at the congested terminal hub in Cushing, Okla.
While Canadian and U.S. railways are scrambling to meet demand, opening small terminals close to production in locations such as the Bakken area of southern Saskatchewan and North Dakota, the Athabasca oilsands have not been part of the rush. Until now.
Though Southern Pacific estimates it will cost $31 to ship via rail compared with $8 for pipeline shipping, unlike pipelines there are no required public hearings and no environmental protests.
As Brian Merchant writes on Treehugger, "this is looking like an increasingly viable option for oil companies with a glut of supply on their hands, and who hope to sidestep the pipeline process."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.