[R-G] Buffett and Gates tour Alberta oil sands

[Anthony Fenton]

Also: "Buffett, Gates, mutant fish frame oil sands debate":
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/7743458

Buffett and Gates tour Alberta oil sands
Industry is attracting high-profile visitors and worldwide business  
interests, as well as growing protest from environmentalists
NORVAL SCOTT
August 20, 2008
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080820.OILSANDS20//TPStory/Environment

Alberta's growing stature as a global economic force has been  
highlighted by an unexpected visit from two of the world's richest men  
to the province's oil sands.

At the time of the year when multibillionaires might easily be  
expected to be sunning themselves in the tropics, Warren Buffett of  
the mammoth holdings company Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and Microsoft  
founder Bill Gates on Monday instead took in the sights of Fort  
McMurray to get a better idea of the region's development.

Greg Stringham, vice-president at the Canadian Association of  
Petroleum Producers, told local news media that the two men asked the  
industry body to give a general overview of the oil sands and Canada's  
position in the energy world.

Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Canada's second-largest oil and  
gas firm, was host of part of the tour at its $9.3-billion Horizon oil  
sands project, which is currently under development.

Neither CAPP nor Canadian Natural were immediately available for  
comment.

The visit by Mr. Gates and Mr. Buffett comes as the oil sands are not  
only attracting greater worldwide interest - with foreign oil firms  
such as Norway's StatoilHydro ASA and France's Total SA increasing  
their presence in Alberta in recent months - but also greater  
opprobrium, as environmental groups step up their protests against  
what they perceive to be dirty oil.

Yesterday, a new campaign against the oil sands was launched south of  
the border, as protesters in Denver picketed a gasoline station  
supplied by Suncor Energy Inc.'s Commerce City Refinery, which  
processes some crude from Alberta.

The protesters called for a curb on oil sands development to preserve  
Alberta's boreal forest.