XL down and China up for Canadian Oil? Not yet

As a proud Canadian, I get a little buzz when Prime Minister Harper lets China know we want to do business, right after President Obama snubbed both us and the American people by freezing the XP line.

The reality is nothing has changed except the narrative.

Blogging Tories has posts up with two stories commenting on a failure of US leadership (Obama Punts  and Mob Rule) and another emphasizing free markets, Hard Right.   They ring true for me but when the politics are filtered out of the story, there's not a lot left.


The XL Pipeline is still a secure economic opportunity for both countries and entrepreneurs.
For some time China has had an interest in a pipeline directing Canadian oil towards its market.
Options to open more western oil to Eastern Canada have been there all along.

Any one or all of the above can be pursued in parallel.  That's what I would do - keep the options on the table.

 
The pictures are both from this week's APEC meeting in Honolulu.  The XL Pipeline is a big issue but you just have to walk across the room to change the outcome.

UPDATE  Trans Canada offers to relocate pipeline route around Sandhills Nebraska area identified as "sensitive".  The option is still on the table and President Obama is more exposed for pandering to some of his base

(XL instead of XP correction as noted by commenter #3)