Greenpeace plans more actions in oil sands

CALGARY (Reuters) - Greenpeace plans to launch more short-term actions to disrupt production in the Canadian oil sands over frustration with government handling of the industry, an activist with the environmental watchdog organization said on Tuesday.

Last year, Greenpeace actions temporarily disrupted crude production at Suncor Energy Inc's (SU.TO) Alberta oil sands operation and production at two of Royal Dutch Shell's (RDSa.L) facilities in the western Canadian province.

"Our messaging was never directed at any one company," said campaigner Mike Hudema at the Reuters Oil Sands Summit in Calgary. "It was always directed at the provincial and federal governments. ... In the future, I think you can expect to see more activities like that."

Greenpeace will also continue to mount an international campaign against the oil sands and spend some of its efforts on alternatives to developing the Canadian economy, he said.

The organization says extraction of oil from Canada's oil sands is damaging to the environment and nearby communities.

Canada is the largest foreign oil supplier to the United States, and about half the country's crude oil supplies are derived from the oil sands.

The Alberta government has stymied traditional forms of democratic process by not respecting public opposition to new projects, Hudema said.

"When that happens, it opens the door for civil disobedience-type activities," Hudema said.

Alberta Energy Minister Ron Liepert last week said the province's oil sands are under attack from well-funded, international groups.

Greenpeace has a C$200,000 ($196,000) budget to campaign against the oil sands, Hudema said, a fraction of what multinational oil companies and the Alberta government itself spend on its oil sands messages, he said.

(Reporting by Rod Nickel, editing by Marguerita Choy)