Oil Sands

 What are the oil sands?

The oil sands are a mix of sand, clay, water, and oil.  The oil is classed as heavy oil or, more precisely, a type of bitumen deposit.  The product of the oil sands are typically classed as “unconventional oil” as opposed to the oil obtained from traditional or conventional means such as oil wells.

Where are the oil sands located?

The major deposits of oil sands in the world are found in Canada and Venezuela.  The oil sands in Canada are concentrated in the province of Alberta and cover the area of approximately the size of the state of Florida. 

Why are the oil sands important?

The oil sands represent a hard-to-ignore source of petroleum in a world dependant on hydrocarbon energy.  The oil sands contain about 171.3 billion barrels of oil reserves and is the second largest reserve in the world (second only to Saudi Arabia).  This source of energy, while arguably more difficult to extract than conventional oil, has become an attractive resource in a world of high oil prices with over 91 active oil sands projects in Alberta (2009).

How are the oil sands used?

Oil sands are developed using, basically, two different methods: surface mining and in-situ.  Surface mining, a process whereby top layers of soil and muskeg are removed by heavy machinery, can be used for bitumen that is found relatively close to the surface (i.e., 40-60 m depth).  This type of processing is similar to the techniques used to mine coal.  In-situ oil recovery mimics the techniques of conventional oil exploration in that wells are drilled.  The novel twist in this type of extraction is that steam is pumped underground to liquefy the bitumen.  This process is known as SAGD or steam-assisted gravity drainage.  SAGD operations usually have two horizontal wells, one for delivering the steam and the other for collecting the liquefied bitumen.  According the Alberta Government, 80% of recoverable bitumen can be reovered using in-situ methods.