Canada - OPEC Member

[Suit_N_Tie]

The Alberta oil sands region of Canada are rumoured to have more oil in them than the entire Middle East. How would you go about making Canada a member of OPEC (since its conception or later on)? Would a barrel of oil be much cheaper? And would gas prices in North America would be cheaper as well, since there would be reduced transportation costs?

[blysas]

If that is true then the Candians are going to be very rich soon, If the candians had expolited these oil feilds during the 1970's then I could see them become a big competitior in Opec, it might drive the oil prove down to $35 a barrel, they might also cause the Middle to destablize becuase of lower oil proces and the US having less intrest in the Middle east, because Canada becomes a mmajor supplier of oil to the USA!

[Straha]

You'd need more advanced tech earlier to exploit the oil fields.

[blysas]

If canada had expoilted the oilfeilds earlier she would be rolling in money and dicating what OPEC does, it might put the Middle east into another Civil war

[Tielhard]

Canada is never going to be a member of OPEC as its hydrocarbon production is never going to be that large a part of GDP, a criterion on which, if I recall OPEC membership is based.

[blysas]

It doesn't matter what they export. What matters if they are actually expoting oil or not!

[blysas]

To become a memebr of OPEC you have to actually export oil from your own lands or oil rigs you own.

[Sir Isaac Brock]

The Alberta oil sands region of Canada are rumoured to have more oil in them than the entire Middle East.
Actually it's more than Saudi Arabia, but not more than the whole Middle East.

How would you go about making Canada a member of OPEC (since its conception or later on)?
Good luck.
a) OPEC is a dictator's club. Canada wouldn't fit.
b) Canada is capitalist and lets the market set the price (sometimes, see below), OPEC is a cartel. Why would Canada join? Why would OPEC want us?
b) One province, Alberta controls the vast majority of Canada's oil, and the provincial and federal governments have fought bitterly over how to price the oil, (market vs. price controls) and could never agree to a common policy to present at an OPEC meeting.

Would a barrel of oil be much cheaper? And would gas prices in North America would be cheaper as well, since there would be reduced transportation costs?
You are grossly misinformed. Most of the US's gas imports are already from nearby sources in Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela. The reason OPEC influences prices is by lowering supply coming from the M-E, forcing importers in Europe and Japan to bid higher for supplies and forcing up the world price. Oil is a fungible commodity. That means price swings in one part of the world, changes the price everywhere.

[Sir Isaac Brock]

If that is true then the Candians are going to be very rich soon,
What, we're not rich now, especially in Alberta?

If the candians had expolited these oil feilds during the 1970's then I could see them become a big competitior in Opec,
The oilsands are, with current technology, only profitable at prices over $20 / barrel. There was some work done in the Athabasca Oilsands in the 70s, but at that time Alberta still had a lot of much cheaper to produce convential oil (we still haven't used it all). So yes the oilsands are important, but because the oil is much more expensive to extract it will never be as porfitable as convential oil.

it might drive the oil prove down to $35 a barrel,
When? In 1999 oil was down to US$15/ barrel, and that didn't require Canadian influtration of OPEC.

they might also cause the Middle to destablize becuase of lower oil proces and the US having less intrest in the Middle east, because Canada becomes a mmajor supplier of oil to the USA!
CANADA IS THE US's LARGEST OIL SUPPLIER!!!

[Zyzzyva]

The Kingdom of Alberta, under Sultan Ralph I could be a member of Opec... ;)

If there are any albertans on this forum: Please! Don't kill me!

[Sir Isaac Brock]

The Kingdom of Alberta, under Sultan Ralph I could be a member of Opec... ;)
If there are any albertans on this forum: Please! Don't kill me!
Don't worry this is one blue-eyed Arab from the Sheikdom of Albertastan who doesn't mind. :D

[fortyseven]

The Kingdom of Alberta, under Sultan Ralph I could be a member of Opec... ;)

If there are any albertans on this forum: Please! Don't kill me!

LOL

OPEC used to be more influential have a greater share of US imports. If oil could be extracted from the oil sandsat affordable prices pre-1970 that would be very significant.

[The Sandman]

I'm afraid that the Sheikdom of Albertastan would have to be suppressed in order to liberate the luscious oil...I mean, unfortunate Canadians from its iron grip.

I mean, it has been nearly 200 years since the last time we tried to invade Canada, and they do say that the third time's the charm...

[Suit_N_Tie]

Actually it's more than Saudi Arabia, but not more than the whole Middle East.


Good luck.
a) OPEC is a dictator's club. Canada wouldn't fit.
b) Canada is capitalist and lets the market set the price (sometimes, see below), OPEC is a cartel. Why would Canada join? Why would OPEC want us?
b) One province, Alberta controls the vast majority of Canada's oil, and the provincial and federal governments have fought bitterly over how to price the oil, (market vs. price controls) and could never agree to a common policy to present at an OPEC meeting.


You are grossly misinformed. Most of the US's gas imports are already from nearby sources in Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela. The reason OPEC influences prices is by lowering supply coming from the M-E, forcing importers in Europe and Japan to bid higher for supplies and forcing up the world price. Oil is a fungible commodity. That means price swings in one part of the world, changes the price everywhere.


You sure know how to crush a man's ego :rolleyes:

[Wendell]

The Kingdom of Alberta, under Sultan Ralph I could be a member of Opec... ;)

If there are any albertans on this forum: Please! Don't kill me!
They have to change their name to Saudi Alberta first:p