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"A collaborative political resource." |
Oil sands riches slow to a trickle
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| Contributor | Penguin |
| Last Edited | Penguin Oct 18, 2009 02:19pm |
| Category | General |
| News Date | Oct 17, 2009 02:00pm |
| Description | Recession catches up to Canada mining mecca
The global economic slowdown has caught up with the desolate oil sands region in northwest Canada, which has been sending a torrent of money flowing through Wisconsin.
Known for fostering a boomtown in Fort McMurray, Alberta, the region has seen roughly $90 billion worth of oil production projects deferred or canceled during the recession. The result has been a slowdown in sales for some Wisconsin manufacturers who supply equipment to the region, although existing oil sands projects are keeping some others as busy as ever.
Huge electric mining shovels, made in Milwaukee, have provided the muscle behind the Gold Rush-style boom as oil companies tap the riches of dirt containing a tarlike grade of petroleum.
Shovels and trucks still run day and night in vast open-pit mines that resemble an industrial version of the Grand Canyon. They're built to keep going even when the temperature falls to 40 degrees below zero and ground becomes as hard as concrete.
Most of the synthetic crude from the region is used to make gasoline, jet fuel or home heating oil. It flows through a network of pipelines to refineries across North America, including Wisconsin's only refinery, in Superior. |
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