- Lost by all sides in this debate is that Canada remains somewhat a "hewer of wood". That is, this pipeline is just a connection to US oil refineries (high value added processing). This lost economic opportunity for upgrading Cdn crude to end user product seems lost in the intense and one-sided conversations by either those for and against.
Isn't it time that we start adding more value to the raw resources we export?
But of course this would improve our economy at the expense of the Yankee traders.
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AleithiaThis is a common misconception. At its roots is the science of the petrochemical industry. Canada is exporting an upgraded synthetic crude. It contains something called volatiles. Basically, they are relatively unstable hydro carbons with extremely low activation energies. In other words, when refined, they are highly explosive. If there is any question re the danger of piping oil to refineries, pumping volatiles puts the concept to rest. Volitiles are among other things, aromatic hydrocarbons with in crude oil molecularly isolated within the oil matrix until refined. They are effectively neutralized visa vis their inherent tendency to explode, when they are transported with in the oil. To separate the constituent parts of crude oil in Alberta, would result in product that could not be transported to market--beyond the paltry market of western Canada. Furthermore, if there were any real concern about pollution, that concern would be amplified by the long distance trucking to market--vastly more inefficient, requiring far more energy, and posing far greater danger to move it to market. Actuarial tables would explode in comparing the relative dangers.
The thing that irks me is that this information is out there, but the disinformation has the louder voice. Rational thinking does not give way to hysteria--for the most part; and that is a good thing
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