Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The oil and natural gas industry remains committed to being a reliable and environmentally-responsible provider of the energy needed to power our economy.
Canadian and U.S. companies are making the necessary investments to meet stringent environmental and other regulatory requirements to produce and process oil sands.
- The extraction and processing of oil sands, like all minerals development, requires energy, which results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, in a full lifecycle analysis, GHG emissions from the extraction, processing and use of oil sands oil is comparable to other heavy crude oil, like Venezuelan or Mexican crudes processed in the U.S. (see chart from CERA, 2012 updated analysis).
- Technological advancements have cut per-barrel GHG emissions from oil sands production by 26 percent compared to 1990 levels, according to the Canadian government.
- Using oil sands as a feedstock does not affect the quality or the tailpipe GHG emissions of the refined products. In fact, gasoline and other fuels made from oil sands already are being used in the United States. The vast investments refiners and pipeline operators are making to increase capacity and flexibility to process oil sands includes all the necessary equipment to make products that meet all the required specifications.
The Canadian oil and gas industry is working in conjunction with the Canadian federal and Albertan provincial governments to reduce GHG emissions through accelerated research and development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology and energy efficiency improvements. For more information regarding how the Canadian government and oil and gas industry are addressing environmental issues associated with oil sands development, visit the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).
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