Memo to CNOC: We Told You So About Canadian Oil Sands

In 2010, no less, when Canadian heavy oil deposits were beginning to have financial and energy pundits breathe heavily we posted about the economic and environmental problems associated with these deposits, based on our own work on these resources decades back. First of all, not all these deposits are created equal.

Extractive technologies may have improved, but the political and environmental risks, required returns on all-in costs, and realistic oil prices continue to place these resources, as a broad class, relatively low down the value chain.

Today, the CNOC's policy of trying to anticipate global energy futures and cement a strong position in extracting oil sands from its Long Lake project ran aground, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The problems are easy to enumerate, and they are not happening to state-owned Chinese enterprises for the first time:

• When venturing into production areas that are beyond the corporate technical competencies, don't go it alone and don't make big bets.  For this, see also Petrobras' experiences with deep offshore oil.
• Pick an established global partner, even if you have to give up some economics.
• Control is an illusion.  Global markets have confounded smart players in many fields since time immemorial.
• Environmental risks in environments like Alberta and the Arctic, for example, should never be underestimated.

Reducing its capital spending program will make it very unlikely that CNOC can fulfill its global aspirations without significantly reinventing its business model and strategy.