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Why did this Canadian energy company (Suncor) react to this properly? Theories? Surely there'd be immense economic pressure to just keep digging. (Am I being t

by tpmx 6y ago

Why did this Canadian energy company (Suncor) react to this properly? Theories? Surely there'd be immense economic pressure to just keep digging. (Am I being too cynical?)

ozborn 6y ago
There's a number of reasons I think, including: 1. The fossil itself is beautiful and outstanding 2. There is less pressure to produce right now given oversupply and shipping constraints in Alberta 3.Suncor cares more about its reputation than some of the other players in the tar sands 4. The Royal Tyrell Museum is well known to most Albertans, kids go there on school trips and it would likely seem like the obvious thing to do (stop work) when presented with such a find. 5. I have no idea if there is a finders fee, but that fossil is probably more valuable than anything that loader was processing all day. 6. It's a dinosaur - most folks find them pretty cool. :)
- tpmx 6y ago
  2) It happened in 2011. The oil price was around $100/barrel back then. Was there a regional oversupply back then?
- agilebyte 6y ago
  Re 5) I don't think they knew how valuable it was when uncovering it, the region is filled with fossils. When I visited Royal Tyrrell Museum in 2016 they said they have more fossils in the storage than they have time to process them.
giarc 6y ago
Suncor was right in the midst of a big investigation into 500 ducks that died in a tailings pond. Might have played a role. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/syncrude-suncor-cleared-after-duck-death-investigation-1.1271299 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/syncrude-suncor-clear...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- tpmx 6y ago
  That sounds like a plausible reason. Timeline checks out.
eternauta3k 6y ago
Now think of all the fossils and historical artifacts we're not hearing about because they just kept digging.
visiblink 6y ago
This is completely speculative, but Suncor was filthy rich in 2011, so a temporary stoppage wouldn't have hurt the bottom line too much. Also, because of the Royal Tyrrell Museum, dinosaur fossils have become a part of Alberta's identity. The miners would have talked about the find and the company would have faced bad publicity if it had acted differently. Oil sands companies don't really need any more bad publicity than they already get.

by tpmx 6y ago

Why did this Canadian energy company (Suncor) react to this properly? Theories? Surely there'd be immense economic pressure to just keep digging. (Am I being too cynical?)

ozborn 6y ago

There's a number of reasons I think, including: 1. The fossil itself is beautiful and outstanding 2. There is less pressure to produce right now given oversupply and shipping constraints in Alberta 3.Suncor cares more about its reputation than some of the other players in the tar sands 4. The Royal Tyrell Museum is well known to most Albertans, kids go there on school trips and it would likely seem like the obvious thing to do (stop work) when presented with such a find. 5. I have no idea if there is a finders fee, but that fossil is probably more valuable than anything that loader was processing all day. 6. It's a dinosaur - most folks find them pretty cool. :)

tpmx 6y ago
2) It happened in 2011. The oil price was around $100/barrel back then. Was there a regional oversupply back then?
agilebyte 6y ago
Re 5) I don't think they knew how valuable it was when uncovering it, the region is filled with fossils. When I visited Royal Tyrrell Museum in 2016 they said they have more fossils in the storage than they have time to process them.

giarc 6y ago

Suncor was right in the midst of a big investigation into 500 ducks that died in a tailings pond. Might have played a role. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/syncrude-suncor-cleared-after-duck-death-investigation-1.1271299 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/syncrude-suncor-clear...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
tpmx 6y ago
That sounds like a plausible reason. Timeline checks out.

eternauta3k 6y ago

Now think of all the fossils and historical artifacts we're not hearing about because they just kept digging.

visiblink 6y ago

This is completely speculative, but Suncor was filthy rich in 2011, so a temporary stoppage wouldn't have hurt the bottom line too much. Also, because of the Royal Tyrrell Museum, dinosaur fossils have become a part of Alberta's identity. The miners would have talked about the find and the company would have faced bad publicity if it had acted differently. Oil sands companies don't really need any more bad publicity than they already get.