Anti-Trans Mountain pipeline funds flow from unexpected sources

Potash royalties took centre stage yesterday night in a lively debate between Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Dwain Lingenfelter, the leader of the province's NDP. Saskatchewan is in the midst of an election campaign with voters going to the polls on November 7. Lingenfelter went on the offensive, attacking the potash industry for what he says are unfair royalties. The NDP would tax an extra five cents of every dollar of potash sales, and use up to $700 million in extra potash revenues to fund their platform. "That's our strategy. To move (the royalty) from a nickel on the dollar, do the review and get at least 10 cents on the dollar. I don't think that's asking too much," " said Lingenfelter.

On top of a 3.3% decline in US crude oil prices on Wednesday comes news from Reuters that a US State Department official said the year-end target to approve the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline could well be missed. It would be the second time a decision has been pushed out. A surge in inventories at the Cushing hub in the Midwest, the pricing point for US crude was behind the fall and a further delay to Keystone, designed to carry Canadian crude to Texas refineries and relieve the Cushing glut, will hit oil sands producers particularly hard. Canada's heavy oil already sells at almost a $30 discount to the international price.

Canada's number one coal producer and world-leading nickel miner, Sherritt jumped 10.2% on Wednesday after reporting a doubling of quarterly net earnings and good progress at its massive Ambatovy project in Madagascar. Sherritt will start production at Ambatovy in the first quarter of next year. The company has already spent more than 90% of the planned $5.5 billion to build what will be the world's biggest nickel mine with the capacity to produce 60,000 tonnes of nickel and 5,600 of cobalt a year. Sherritt and its Asian partners have made the largest investment in the island's history and will make nickel the country's number one export for the next 27 years.

Toronto, ON – October 26, 2011: Aecon Group Inc. (TSX:ARE) announced today that its Mining Division has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $80 million for work at a new potash mine, located approximately 140 kilometres east of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Under the unit price contract, Aecon Mining will conduct site preparation and early works, including site grading, construction of temporary roads, preparation of sediment ponds, and layouts for the camp. Work at the site has begun and is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2012. “This contract represents an important step forward for Aecon Mining, expanding its client base and its reach in Western Canada’s resource sector,” said Teri McKibbon, Aecon’s Chief Operating Officer. “The potash industry in Saskatchewan is undergoing significant growth, and Aecon is strategically positioned to play a role in many aspects of that growth.”

In the last decade spending on exploration in British Columbia has increased 20 fold. It was another bright spot for British Columbia's mining sector, as covered in PricewaterhouseCoopers' industry survey. "The estimated total economic output, value added GDP employment generated from exploration and development activities are $352 million, $168 million and 3,017 jobs respectively," wrote the survey authors.

An iron ore project in northeastern Canada whose proponent is calling "the next Consolidated Thompson," has taken an important step forward. Alderon Iron Ore Corp. (TSE:ADV) announced today it has begun filing material to start the federal and provincial environmental assessment process. The application would allow Alderon to double future annual production at its Kami Project in Quebec-Labrador to 16 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate annually.

According to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), direct mining expenditures in British Columbia mining crested $5.2 billion in 2010. An additional $3.7 billion was spent in secondary and support industries and services resulting in a total of $8.9 billion of economic activity across British Columbia. The Economic Impact Analysis report commissioned by the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) and compiled by PwC measures direct, indirect and induced economic impacts of mining in terms of output, Gross Domestic Product, employment and government tax revenues.

Stock boards were buzzing on Tuesday as traders tried to figure out why Western Potash Corp. was soaring 18.2% without any news about the $200 million firm that would drive the share higher. Despite having nothing to go on, speculators had swapped 2.3m shares by 3pm in Toronto, 1.5 times usual volumes. The junior player in Saskatchewan’s potash industry is in the pre-feasability stage of its 940 million tonne Milestone Project, but some doubt if WPX would be able to muster the finances and logistics to go up against the giants operating in the province.

Facing strong resistance from local constituencies, Nebraska governor Dave Heineman says he'll meet with state lawmakers to consider challenging the proposed route for the Keystone XL pipeline, CBC reports: Pipeline opponents, including a coalition of environmentalists, ranchers and landowners, sought the special session to consider a proposal that would have given the state control over the pipe's route. Lawmakers, however, said last week that the measure wouldn't likely survive a court challenge. The issue is expected to be addressed during the special session beginning Nov. 1.