Alberta oil is sold on the open market, as a commodity. No specific buyers is needed, unless the buyer is an investor with an independent off-take plan. Most Alberta oil is refined in Illinois and Wisconsin. Another distribution point is Cushing, Oklahoma. the american leg of the expanded Keystone pipeline, from Cushing to the Gulf Coast, came into operation a few months ago, so Alberta oil can be refined on the Gulf Coast and Texas as well. Open market sales can be collar hedged to give a price range, or trade at the spot market price. Open market carries price risks, but is the purest free enterprise way to sell, since each day 10 times as much oil is traded as produced. Chinese could be buying on open market, once oil leaves Alberta we have no idea about the ultimate buyer.
