Harper Lobbies Europe as Canada Fights Dirty-Oil Label – Bloomberg

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is appealing to his European peers to stop EU plans to single out Alberta’s oil sands as a source of high-polluting energy as the country struggles to find new markets for its oil.

Harper will push the issue with French President Francois Hollande today after raising it with U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday. Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver is also meeting with government and industry officials in London this week.

If Europe labels Canadian bitumen as more polluting than other oil sources, it could affect the economic viability of proposed pipelines and embolden environmental critics determined to stop projects such as Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s Keystone XL and Enbridge Inc. (ENB)’s Northern Gateway, Oliver said.

“We don’t want to see our reputation sullied and our resource singled out for special negative treatment,” Oliver said in an interview with Bloomberg News. The fuel quality directive could affect TransCanada’s Energy East proposal, as well as give ammunition to people opposed to development of the deposits, he said.

via Harper Lobbies Europe as Canada Fights Dirty-Oil Label – Bloomberg.