With its bank accounts frozen and oil-shipment fees due soon, it could have trouble doing business.

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With oil prices rising and offshore production looking unattractive, we turn our attention to the great frozen north where water is sparse and oil sand abounds.

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Downtown Midland looks frozen in time circa 1983, when the oil bust and bank collapse brought construction to a standstill.

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The thaw could also threaten oil production, which relies on hard-frozen winter ground to move heavy machinery.

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They may use that wiggle room to raise the cost of petrol, frozen for the past six years despite big rises in the world price of oil.

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