Harper: "The politics of ruthlessness"

[Tupac Shakur]

Good blog post on the (extremely anomalous, it turns out) Brent-WTI spread...

I'll instead just offer a prediction-- arbitrage is eventually going to succeed in driving the Brent-WTI spread down, and nobody-- not even ConocoPhillips, not even the U.S. president-- can prevent it.

But they do have the power to slow it down.

http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2011/04/brentwti_spread_1.html

[Tupac Shakur]

New idea: America builds a new pipeline from the Gulf to almost the Canadian border. This allows North Dakota oil to reach the more profitable global market, helping American producers. The pipeline isn't extended into Canada, though. We let them slog through most of the building of another pipeline through the Rockies, then offer to extend our pipeline into Canada a year or so before they finish theirs. That would get the US the same long-term benefit as the Keystone XL, several years of discount Canadian oil, and teach the Canucks not to issue threats from a weak position.

[KrazyHorse]

Nice fantasy, but there is still no reason I can see to believe that any of the implausible conditions you've described are actually the ones we live under...

[Tupac Shakur]

Asher's article actually does seem to be correct, based on other things I've read. I don't know why the Canadian oil industry ever let itself become so dependent on pipelines flowing to Oklahoma, but that seems to be the case.

[Tupac Shakur]

This seems like a smarter counter to the Keystone XL delay than another trans-Rockies pipeline. Let's hope the Canucks don't actually do it...

Projects that are only in people's imaginations were discussed. One of the more intriguing: building a pipeline from the oil sands to a Canadian port on Lake Superior, putting the oil on tankers (which would be international trade, so no Jones Act jurisdiction), and accessing what Tallett said would be roughly 2 million b/d of refining capacity on or near the Great Lakes.

Keystone XL's demise wouldn't be the end of the world, according to this view

[KrazyHorse]

I have no urge to have the Canadian government planning any new pipelines. I'm sure the oil companies will do a fine job of coming up with the most economical solution themselves.

[Tupac Shakur]

Man, I hope President Romney doesn't **** this up by selling out to the oil companies.

[KrazyHorse]

**** up your fantasy world where some sort of ridiculous set of circumstances leads to a country with the longest coastline in the world somehow being blocked from international trade?

[Tupac Shakur]

Your misinterpreting my fantasy world. My fantasy world is one in which the US has Canadian oil producers over a barrel for a few years because of inadequate Canadian pipeline infrastructure. Poor Canadian planning allows the US to pay below market rate on some of its oil imports, which seems like a good deal that we should keep going as long as possible.

[Asher]

Asher's article actually does seem to be correct, based on other things I've read. I don't know why the Canadian oil industry ever let itself become so dependent on pipelines flowing to Oklahoma, but that seems to be the case.

Which companies do you think own the oil projects?

Hint: Until very recently, they were almost all American. They were shipping the product south to their existing facilities.

[Fake Boris]

This is getting better.

Conservatives are push polling in certain areas, falsely claiming that their lib MP is about to resign.

Harper is a worthless parasite, a nuisance to humanity.

[Asher]

Your citation speaks volumes.

[Wezil]

Modern Conservatives.

The rats aren't denying the accusation. In fact, they defend the actions.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11/30/conservatives-admit-theyre-behind-false-byelection-calls-for-liberal-mps-riding/

[Fake Boris]

Your citation speaks volumes.

What?

[Wezil]

He was apparently unable to locate the reference on his own Oncle.