Our oil, U. S. need

Canada’s oilsands may take a daily beating in the international media and from environmentalists, but the arithmetic of U. S. consumption and supply all but ensures a long, prosperous future for our dirty oil.

The United States imports 60% of its daily fuel requirements. President Barack Obama has vowed to wean his country off Middle East oil within 10 years. The U. S.’s other nearby secondary suppliers are either hostile (Venezuela) or their production is dwindling so quickly that they could be a net importer of oil within five years (Mexico). For every five barrels of oil America consumes a day, one comes from Canada. One barrel of every 20 now consumed in the United States is pumped straight out of the oilsands, a number that could triple inside of 15 years.

That leaves the United States with one stable long-term oil option. And we’re it.

While environmental groups gush that Mr. Obama will be a green president compared to tar-stained Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he doesn’t appear to be following the script.

The proof, some would argue, is in the pipeline.

The U. S. State Department last month quietly blessed a $3.3-billion pipeline–dubbed the Alberta Clipper — that will start feeding 450,000 barrels of oilsand bitumen daily into the U. S. heartland next year.

National Post