Natural Resources committee  I am aware of the actual amount of production that is upgraded in this country, and I'm aware of the amount that goes to the U.S. and is upgraded there, or refined there. Those are the things I'm primarily aware of.

Natural Resources committee  I can only tell you what we're doing. We're trying to provide information. We're trying to participate on panels. We're trying to put our message out that we think we need a system that encourages lots of different developments, and we think we need a system that's transparent and competitive between this country and other countries.

Natural Resources committee  Yes, and I believe that 75% of the bitumen is upgraded right now in this country. The rest goes to the U.S. There is extra capacity in many of those refineries right now. They're not at full rate. They're capable of processing heavy crudes, much like we produce here. So it makes sense to have some of the bitumen go down to be processed in those facilities, at least until the others are fully up to speed.

Natural Resources committee  What we do with the technology is really based on a number of different factors, all of which are related. For instance, right now we're testing ceramic membranes in order to separate the oil and water more efficiently. We're investing in vacuum-insulated tubing in order to reduce our emissions.

Natural Resources committee  On whether we think we're doing enough on research and development, I guess my answer is that we're doing a lot. We're doing what we think is appropriate at this time. We believe we're putting a substantial amount of commitment into this and a substantial amount of people into it.

Natural Resources committee  I would be happy to.

Natural Resources committee  I will slow down, sorry. We provide a substantial amount of funding for community-level programs. This includes important local community initiatives and training. With regard to oil sands technology, we're planning to spend over $300 million over the next five years to advance heavy oil technology for our worldwide operations.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today to share my company's views on energy security, particularly on the oil sands and the vital role they play in meeting future energy demand. I know CAPP and others have been here to talk about global demand and that we'll need all forms of energy to meet it in the decades to come.