Oil Sands

Oil Sands

(click image to enlarge)

 

Oil sands are an unconventional source of oil, consisting principally of a mixture of sand, clay, water and a dense, viscous form of petroleum known as bitumen. In fact, "bituminous sands" is the more technically correct name for this resource, although "oil sands" has become, through usage, the more commonly used term.

 

Only recently have oil sands been considered an economically viable part of the world's petroleum reserves. With the increase in oil prices starting in 2007, it has become profitable to extract bitumen from the oil sands mixture, then upgrade, transport, and refine it into usable products.

 

Oil sands are found in various parts of the world, but the largest deposits are in Alberta, Canada, comprising approximately 70% of the world reserve. Significant deposits are also found in Kazakhstan and Russia.

Introduction
References
Introduction
Composition
Bitumen
Worldwide Reserves
Canadian Reserves
Production Methods
Environment: Intro
Environment: Air
Environment: Water
Environment: Land
Environment: GHG
Keystone Pipeline
Additional Reading
CHALLENGES

Have we reached "peak oil", the time when petroleum production starts to decline due to diminishing resources?  If not, when is that likely to happen?  When peak oil does occur, how will we meet the demand for oil or an oil substitute?


The massive use of petroleum is one of the principal sources for greenhouse gases, chemicals substantially responsible for global warming.  How much is the use of petroleum harming the planet, and what can be done to decrease its damaging effects?

Oil, more than any other single commodity, drives foreign and, to a considerable extent, domestic politics and policy. The dependency of oil importing countries on the production stability of oil exporting countries reaches into every aspect of the modern global economy.

Oil sand fields in Canada are potentially vast sources for petroleum. The USA imports more oil from Canada than from any other country, and a large portion of that imported oil is from Canadian oil sands. Examine here the potential and the controversies regarding this unconventional but abundant source of energy.

This controversial pipeline would carry synthetic crude petroleum from the oilsands areas of Alberta, Canada, to refineries in the USA. Resistance from environmental groups has delayed federal approval of the project.