Why are we importing oil at all?

[the big wheel]

How stupid are we? Send raw heavy crude to states they process it make the real money. We re fighting over pipelines and yap yap yap playing political
Games blaming one side and the other as a major oil reserve country and we import fuel???? Beyond nuts and it don't matter which government because we ve had them all haven't we?

[ajl]

The US had a lot of underutilized refining capacity on the gulf coast which was far cheaper than building refineries in Canada so oil exports did make economic sense. What does not make sense is buying Saudi oil for $USD in eastern Canada. The Saudi oil minister stated that the trade dispute would not affect oil shipment from the KSA to Canada. Well of course not, we pay USD. China pays in yawn and no one wants that. For the most part Canuckistanians are very stupid and that come from the fact that almost all wealth here in Canuckistan comes from some government wealth transfer scheme. Hard work and saving gets you nowhere in a place where the government prints currency all the time.

[wmoebis]

How stupid are we? Send raw heavy crude to states they process it make the real money. We re fighting over pipelines and yap yap yap playing political
Games blaming one side and the other as a major oil reserve country and we import fuel???? Beyond nuts and it don't matter which government because we ve had them all haven't we?

And it's not even the Gov't that is importing and buying the oil, it is the refineries like Irvine.

[beaverdam]

I believe the reason this crude oil rich country is importing,,,crude oil, is because people with connections are profiting from shipping the oil here. Know anyone, with connection to politics and government policy, who is also involved in ocean shipping?

In hindsight, a window of opportunity to get such a pipeline built(Energy East) would have been the Mulroney years, when the feds were popular and had more influence in Quebec. The opposition would have been the Block, and Canadians would not have sided with the Block.

But at the time, I don't think anyone saw burdensome volumes of production coming from the oilsands or the Balken. As well, no one would was forecasting the USA to increase their oil production either, we just always thought the USA would need our oil, themselves.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

There is also an issue of the type of oil the refineries are set up to refine. You can't just turn on a dime and switch from light sweet to heavy or sour without major modifications. Not sure if that plays a role here, but it part of the reason US refineries are refining so much of our oil, they have invested a lot to be able to refine it.

That certainly doesn't excuse eastern Canada from supporting the middle east at the expense of western Canada. The sooner the entire world can wean themselves off of middle eastern oil the better off the world will be. That day is coming fast in North America. The rest of the world will have a difficult time in keeping the peace effectively enough without the US to keep the oil flowing, so may be forced to go elsewhere too.

If there was ever an arguement for alternative energy that the public could get behind, this would be it.

[grassfarmer]

Canada doesn't import oil - companies working within Canada import the oil because it is advantageous for them to do so. That's what trade is about - surely you are in favour of free trade and companies being allowed to import and export? You are in all your other arguments so why not this one?

[Guest]

The real question should be “why is the west still with the east”

[Guest]

Canada doesn't import oil - companies working within Canada import the oil because it is advantageous for them to do so. That's what trade is about - surely you are in favour of free trade and companies being allowed to import and export? You are in all your other arguments so why not this one?

Oh , so why cant we import cheap fuel , chem , etc. , from the US? That would be advantageous to us ?
Why the **** are they allowed to but were not ? Cant even make sense of this crazy shit going on now ?
They want us to send transfer payments but shove your uranium , oil etc. Up ypur ass ?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Canada doesn't import oil - companies working within Canada import the oil because it is advantageous for them to do so. That's what trade is about - surely you are in favour of free trade and companies being allowed to import and export? You are in all your other arguments so why not this one?

Not sure if that was directed at me or not? Governments in Canada don't directly import oil, But they do enable fourth dissuade trade with certain countries and regions through sanctioned trade agreements, sanctions and trade barriers. It is eastern Canadian governments at all levels Who have effectively stalled and eventually killed pipelines which would've taken western Canadian oil East. The lines between free enterprise and Public get blurry in this situation

[Crestliner]

Good point CaseIH on why aren’t we? Because it is a game rigged against us. The chemical co. lobby made sure to kill the PMRA...which allowed cheaper chems to be imported. I beleive it was to protect our health in Canada. Our standards are much higher than the USA (sic). This is just one example.

I remember importing Clearout 41 for $2.00 Canadian Funds from Montana per litre (360 g/l) in 2004. Worked really well. But then my Government got involved to save me from a lot of bad things, and the party ended.