Oil sands - Revision history

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	[[category:371 topics]]		[[category:371 topics]]
	[[Category:Done ~~2015~~-07-24]]		[[Category:Done 2016-01-15]]
	[[File:640px-Syncrude_mildred_lake_plant.jpg\|400px\|framed\|right\|Figure 1. Oil sands production area in Fort McMurray, Alberta.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 9, 2015). ''Syncrude's Mildred Lake site, plant and tailings ponds'' [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sands#/media/File:Syncrude_mildred_lake_plant.jpg</ref>]]		[[File:640px-Syncrude_mildred_lake_plant.jpg\|400px\|framed\|right\|Figure 1. Oil sands production area in Fort McMurray, Alberta.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 9, 2015). ''Syncrude's Mildred Lake site, plant and tailings ponds'' [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sands#/media/File:Syncrude_mildred_lake_plant.jpg</ref>]]
			<onlyinclude>'''Oil sands''' are a mixture of sand, clay, [[water]], and [[bitumen]] that occur naturally. Bitumen is the [[fossil fuel]] component of this sand, and it is a very heavy [[oil]] that must be treated and upgraded before it can be used to produce useful [[fuel]]s such as [[gasoline]].</onlyinclude> Each grain of sand is coated first in a thin layer of water, and is then surrounded by bitumen.<ref name="RE1">Alberta Energy. (June 9, 2015). ''About Oil Sands'' [Online]. Available: http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/oilsands/793.asp</ref>

	~~<onlyinclude>'''~~Oil ~~sands'''~~ are ~~a mixture of sand~~, ~~clay, water~~, and ~~[[bitumen]] that occur naturally~~. ~~Bitumen is~~ the ~~[[fossil fuel]] component of this sand~~, ~~and it~~ is ~~a very heavy [[oil]] that must be treated and upgraded before it can be used to produce useful [[fuel]]s such as~~ [[~~gasoline~~]]~~.</onlyinclude> Each grain of sand is coated first~~ in ~~a thin layer of water~~, ~~and is then surrounded by bitumen~~.<ref name="RE1"~~>Alberta Energy. (June 9, 2015). ''About Oil Sands'' [Online]. Available: http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/oilsands~~/~~793.asp</ref~~>		Oil sand deposits are found around the globe in Venezuela, the United States, and Russia. However, the largest, most developed deposit in the world is the [[Athabasca deposit]] in Northern Alberta, Canada.<ref name="RE1"/>

	~~The formation of oil sands is slightly different than the~~ [[oil ~~formation\|formation of a conventional oil deposit~~]]~~. Like all oil~~, the bitumen in the oil sands formed ~~from an accumulation~~ of ~~organic material~~ that ~~was buried under sediment. Over~~ millions of years the [[~~heat~~]] and [[~~pressure~~]] ~~on this matter increased~~, ~~causing bacteria to it break down in an~~ [[~~oxygen~~]]~~-poor environment~~. ~~At this point~~, ~~instead~~ of ~~dispersing in geological~~ formation, the ~~fossil fuel~~ absorbed into the existing sand ~~and created oil sand deposits~~. ~~Within~~ the oil sands ~~are fine clay particles~~, ~~along with other minerals such~~ as ~~assorted metals and~~ [[~~sulfur~~]].<ref ~~name="RE2"~~>~~Government of Alberta~~. (~~June 9~~, ~~2015~~). ''~~Facts about Alberta's oil sands and its industry~~'' [Online]. Available: http://~~history~~.~~alberta~~.~~ca/oilsands~~/~~resources~~/~~docs~~/~~facts_sheets09~~.~~pdf~~</ref>		==Formation==
			Like [[crude oil]], the bitumen that exists in the oil sands began as a living material. It is speculated that the oil sands that exist today formed as a result of ancient [[ocean]]s that existed [[Timescale of hydrocarbon formation\|millions of years ago]] covering the areas where the oil sands exist today. As the microscopic marine life within the oceans died, they decomposed with the help of bacteria removing the [[oxygen]] and [[nitrogen]], leaving mainly [[hydrogen]] and [[carbon]]. [[Heat]] and [[pressure]] then resulted in the layering of rock, silt, and sand over time and "cooked" the dead organic material for millions of years at [[temperature]]s between [[celsius\|50 and 150°C]]. This [[oil formation\|formation of oil]] is similar to that of conventional oil deposits, however in this case the oil absorbed into the existing sand. Although scientists are fairly convinced that this is how the oil sands began, exactly the same as how [[conventional oil]] forms, with the one minor difference that sand is involved. The reason that oil sands contain bitumen and not conventional crude oil is a topic that is more controversial, but there are two main theories. The first of these theories is that the oil sands began as a vast reserve of crude oil, and over long periods of time the lighter crude oil escaped or was destroyed microbiologically, leaving behind bitumen. The second theory is that bitumen was formed immediately in a process similar to the formation of oil shale. In this theory, bitumen was released from shales with a large amount of organic matter (kerogen rich shales) instead of crude oil being released.<ref>PennState Earth Sciences. (January 7, 2016). ''Oil Sands Formation'' [Online]. Available: http://www.ems.psu.edu/~pisupati/ACSOutreach/Oil_Sands.html#_Where_did_they</ref>

	~~Oil sand deposits are found~~ around the ~~globe in Venezuela~~, the ~~United States, and Russia. However,~~ the ~~largest, most developed deposit~~ in the ~~world is~~ the ~~Athabasca deposit in Northern Alberta, Canada~~.<ref name="~~RE1~~"/>		In both theoretical bitumen formation methods the bitumen collects around the particles of sand. Instead of migrating through permeable rock as traditional oil would, this bitumen-soaked sand is then forced to the surface from the pressure of mountain formation - in the Alberta oil sands it was the formation of the Rocky Mountains.<ref name="RE2">Government of Alberta. (June 9, 2015). ''Facts about Alberta's oil sands and its industry'' [Online]. Available: http://history.alberta.ca/oilsands/resources/docs/facts_sheets09.pdf</ref> Within the oil sands are fine clay particles, along with other minerals such as assorted metals and [[sulfur]].

	==Terminology==		==Terminology==
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	==Extraction==		==Extraction==
	On average, it takes 2 [[tonne]]s of mined oil sand to produce a single barrel of synthetic crude oil.<ref name="RE2"/> Depending on whether or not the deposit is located close to the surface, it can be retrieved either by surface mining or using [[in situ oil sands mining\|in situ]] mining techniques. After extraction, the sand must be processed and the [[bitumen upgrading\|bitumen upgraded]]. Since bitumen is thick and has a deficiency of [[hydrogen]] ~~when dug up~~, it must be upgraded to remove [[carbon]] or add hydrogen to obtain a balanced [[hydrocarbon]] that is more valuable.<ref>Alberta Energy. (June 10, 2015). ''Upgrading'' [Online]. Available:http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OilSands/1723.asp </ref>		On average, it takes 2 [[tonne]]s of mined oil sand to produce a single barrel of synthetic crude oil.<ref name="RE2"/> Depending on whether or not the deposit is located close to the surface, it can be retrieved either by surface mining or using [[in situ oil sands mining\|in situ]] mining techniques. After extraction, the sand must be processed and the [[bitumen upgrading\|bitumen upgraded]]. Since bitumen is thick and has a deficiency of [[hydrogen]] upon extraction, it must be upgraded to remove [[carbon]] or add hydrogen to obtain a balanced [[hydrocarbon]] that is more valuable.<ref>Alberta Energy. (June 10, 2015). ''Upgrading'' [Online]. Available:http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OilSands/1723.asp </ref>

	===Surface Mining===		===Surface Mining===
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	Some reserves are shallow enough to be surface mined, which simply means that earth-moving equipment can be utilized to dig out oil sand for processing. Resources recoverable by this type of extraction are estimated to be 65 billion barrels.<ref name="RE2"/> These deposits must be within 75 [[meter]]s of the surface to be mined in this fashion. Currently, around 500 square [[kilometer]]s of the oil sands deposit in Northern Alberta is undergoing surface mining, which is only 3% of total oil sands.<ref name="RE3">Alberta Energy. (June 10, 2015). ''Recovery and Extraction'' [Online]. Available: http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OilSands/1719.asp</ref>		Some reserves are shallow enough to be surface mined, which simply means that earth-moving equipment can be utilized to dig out oil sand for processing. Resources recoverable by this type of extraction are estimated to be 65 billion barrels.<ref name="RE2"/> These deposits must be within 75 [[meter]]s of the surface to be mined in this fashion. Currently, around 500 square [[kilometer]]s of the oil sands deposit in Northern Alberta is undergoing surface mining, which is only 3% of total oil sands.<ref name="RE3">Alberta Energy. (June 10, 2015). ''Recovery and Extraction'' [Online]. Available: http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OilSands/1719.asp</ref>

	To excavate the oil sand, large trucks use scoops (some with scoops as large as a two-car garage!<ref name="RE2"/>) to collect the oil sand and move it to a cleaning facility. At this facility, the oil sand is immersed in a hot mix of water and some sort of diluting [[chemical]].<ref name="RE3"/> This separates the thick bitumen from the sand. The non-bitumen component that remains is composed of sand, water, fine clays, and minerals. This leftover component is known as ~~tailings~~ and is then sent to tailings ponds to allow the sand to settle out. The separated, diluted bitumen can then be sent to upgrading to obtain more useful products. In total, two tonnes of oil sand must be obtained and processed with 2-4 barrels of water to produce a single barrel of [[crude oil]] in its synthetic form.<ref name="RE3"/>		To excavate the oil sand, large trucks use scoops (some with scoops as large as a two-car garage!<ref name="RE2"/>) to collect the oil sand and move it to a cleaning facility. At this facility, the oil sand is immersed in a hot mix of water and some sort of diluting [[chemical]].<ref name="RE3"/> This separates the thick bitumen from the sand. The non-bitumen component that remains is composed of sand, water, fine clays, and minerals. This leftover component is known as [[tailing]]s and is then sent to tailings ponds to allow the sand to settle out. The separated, diluted bitumen can then be sent to upgrading to obtain more useful products. In total, two tonnes of oil sand must be obtained and processed with 2-4 barrels of water to produce a single barrel of [[crude oil]] in its synthetic form.<ref name="RE3"/>

	===In-Situ===		===In-Situ===
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	In-situ simply means below ground deposits, which make up 80% of Canada's oil sands. These deposits are buried more deeply then 75 meters, which makes traditional mining from the surface impossible. Most of these deposits are buried more than 350-600 meters below ground.<ref name="RE3"/> There are a variety of specific methods used to extract resources from in-situ deposits.<ref name="RE2"/>		In-situ simply means below ground deposits, which make up 80% of Canada's oil sands. These deposits are buried more deeply then 75 meters, which makes traditional mining from the surface impossible. Most of these deposits are buried more than 350-600 meters below ground.<ref name="RE3"/> There are a variety of specific methods used to extract resources from in-situ deposits.<ref name="RE2"/>

	The two most common methods used in in-situ recovery are [[steam assisted gravity drainage]] and cyclic steam stimulation. In both of these methods steam, solvents, or heat cause the bitumen to become fluid enough that it can be pumped out of the well. One benefit of this model of extraction is that tailings ponds are not a necessity as sand remains in the ground, along with the fact that less water is used to create the oil. One barrel of crude oil in its synthetic form only requires half a barrel of water.<ref name="RE3"/> New techniques such as pulse technology and vapour recover extraction are currently being tested.		The two most common methods used in in-situ recovery are [[steam assisted gravity drainage]] and [[cyclic steam stimulation]]. In both of these methods steam, solvents, or heat cause the bitumen to become fluid enough that it can be pumped out of the well. One benefit of this model of extraction is that tailings ponds are not a necessity as sand remains in the ground, along with the fact that less water is used to create the oil. One barrel of crude oil in its synthetic form only requires half a barrel of water.<ref name="RE3"/> New techniques such as pulse technology and vapour recover extraction are currently being tested.

	==Environmental Impacts==		==Environmental Impacts==

J.williams: 1 revision imported

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J.williams at 16:57, 12 August 2015

2015-08-12T16:57:15Z

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[[category:371 topics]]
[[Category:Done 2015-07-24]]
[[File:640px-Syncrude_mildred_lake_plant.jpg|400px|framed|right|Figure 1. Oil sands production area in Fort McMurray, Alberta.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 9, 2015). ''Syncrude's Mildred Lake site, plant and tailings ponds'' [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sands#/media/File:Syncrude_mildred_lake_plant.jpg</ref>]]

<onlyinclude>'''Oil sands''' are a mixture of sand, clay, water, and [[bitumen]] that occur naturally. Bitumen is the [[fossil fuel]] component of this sand, and it is a very heavy [[oil]] that must be treated and upgraded before it can be used to produce useful [[fuel]]s such as [[gasoline]].</onlyinclude> Each grain of sand is coated first in a thin layer of water, and is then surrounded by bitumen.<ref name="RE1">Alberta Energy. (June 9, 2015). ''About Oil Sands'' [Online]. Available: http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/oilsands/793.asp</ref>

The formation of oil sands is slightly different than the [[oil formation|formation of a conventional oil deposit]]. Like all oil, the bitumen in the oil sands formed from an accumulation of organic material that was buried under sediment. Over millions of years the [[heat]] and [[pressure]] on this matter increased, causing bacteria to it break down in an [[oxygen]]-poor environment. At this point, instead of dispersing in geological formation, the fossil fuel absorbed into the existing sand and created oil sand deposits. Within the oil sands are fine clay particles, along with other minerals such as assorted metals and [[sulfur]].<ref name="RE2">Government of Alberta. (June 9, 2015). ''Facts about Alberta's oil sands and its industry'' [Online]. Available: http://history.alberta.ca/oilsands/resources/docs/facts_sheets09.pdf</ref>

Oil sand deposits are found around the globe in Venezuela, the United States, and Russia. However, the largest, most developed deposit in the world is the Athabasca deposit in Northern Alberta, Canada.<ref name="RE1"/>

==Terminology==
[[File:640px-Stalmeyer_Quarry_Tar_Sands.jpg|400px|framed|left|Figure 2. Oil sands deposit in Trinidad and Tobago.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 9, 2015). ''Stalmeyer Quarry'' [Online]. Available: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stalmeyer_Quarry_Tar_Sands.jpg#/media/File:Stalmeyer_Quarry_Tar_Sands.jpg</ref>]]

Although frequently referred to incorrectly as [[tar sands]] (often by people who wish to make a statement about the [[environmental impacts of oil sands]]), the term oil sands may be widely used but it is still not technically the most correct term. The term '''bituminous sands''' would be the most accurate term, as it is not tar but a thick form of oil known as bitumen that makes up the fossil fuel component of the sand. The bitumen content in these deposits varies from 1-18%.<ref name="RE2"/> However, over time the term commonly used for these deposits has been oil sands, with widespread government and industry official acceptance of this term in the mid-1990s.<ref>National Task Force on Oilsands Strategy. (June 9, 2015). ''The Oilsands: A New Energy Vision for Canada''. (Edmonton: Alberta Chamber of Resources, 1995)</ref> Historically, oil sands were referred to as tar sands largely due to their (ineffective) use as a roofing and paving tar.<ref name="RE1"/> Over time this term was phased out as tar is vastly different from oil. Tar is a synthetically produced product created from [[coal]], [[wood]], [[petroleum]], or [[peat]] through a distillation process whereas oil is a naturally occurring [[petrochemical]] that can be upgraded into petroleum products.<ref name="RE1"/> Because of this definition, the term "oil sand" fits more directly with the actual content and use of products extracted from this sand.

==Extraction==
On average, it takes 2 [[tonne]]s of mined oil sand to produce a single barrel of synthetic crude oil.<ref name="RE2"/> Depending on whether or not the deposit is located close to the surface, it can be retrieved either by surface mining or using [[in situ oil sands mining|in situ]] mining techniques. After extraction, the sand must be processed and the [[bitumen upgrading|bitumen upgraded]]. Since bitumen is thick and has a deficiency of [[hydrogen]] when dug up, it must be upgraded to remove [[carbon]] or add hydrogen to obtain a balanced [[hydrocarbon]] that is more valuable.<ref>Alberta Energy. (June 10, 2015). ''Upgrading'' [Online]. Available:http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OilSands/1723.asp </ref>

===Surface Mining===
:: [[Oil sands surface mining| ''main page'']]
Some reserves are shallow enough to be surface mined, which simply means that earth-moving equipment can be utilized to dig out oil sand for processing. Resources recoverable by this type of extraction are estimated to be 65 billion barrels.<ref name="RE2"/> These deposits must be within 75 [[meter]]s of the surface to be mined in this fashion. Currently, around 500 square [[kilometer]]s of the oil sands deposit in Northern Alberta is undergoing surface mining, which is only 3% of total oil sands.<ref name="RE3">Alberta Energy. (June 10, 2015). ''Recovery and Extraction'' [Online]. Available: http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OilSands/1719.asp</ref>

To excavate the oil sand, large trucks use scoops (some with scoops as large as a two-car garage!<ref name="RE2"/>) to collect the oil sand and move it to a cleaning facility. At this facility, the oil sand is immersed in a hot mix of water and some sort of diluting [[chemical]].<ref name="RE3"/> This separates the thick bitumen from the sand. The non-bitumen component that remains is composed of sand, water, fine clays, and minerals. This leftover component is known as tailings and is then sent to tailings ponds to allow the sand to settle out. The separated, diluted bitumen can then be sent to upgrading to obtain more useful products. In total, two tonnes of oil sand must be obtained and processed with 2-4 barrels of water to produce a single barrel of [[crude oil]] in its synthetic form.<ref name="RE3"/>

===In-Situ===
:: [[in situ oil sands mining|''main page'']]
In-situ simply means below ground deposits, which make up 80% of Canada's oil sands. These deposits are buried more deeply then 75 meters, which makes traditional mining from the surface impossible. Most of these deposits are buried more than 350-600 meters below ground.<ref name="RE3"/> There are a variety of specific methods used to extract resources from in-situ deposits.<ref name="RE2"/>

The two most common methods used in in-situ recovery are [[steam assisted gravity drainage]] and cyclic steam stimulation. In both of these methods steam, solvents, or heat cause the bitumen to become fluid enough that it can be pumped out of the well. One benefit of this model of extraction is that tailings ponds are not a necessity as sand remains in the ground, along with the fact that less water is used to create the oil. One barrel of crude oil in its synthetic form only requires half a barrel of water.<ref name="RE3"/> New techniques such as pulse technology and vapour recover extraction are currently being tested.

==Environmental Impacts==
:: [[Environmental impacts of oil sands| ''main page'']]
One of the biggest issues with the development of oil sands is the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, processing, and upgrading of the bitumen. Some of the concerns include:<ref>Pembina Institute. (June 10, 2015). ''Key facts in context'' [Online]. Available: http://www.pembina.org/oil-sands/key-facts</ref>
* '''Climate and Air''': [[Emission]]s from oil sands production are [[greenhouse gas]]-intensive as it takes more effort to make the bitumen usable, and these emissions are a growing problem as oil sands production increases.
* '''Water''': Oil sands extraction, especially through surface mining, uses a large amount of water even with recycling efforts.
* '''Tailings''': As tailings volumes continue to grow, the issues associated with them will increase. These ponds can be toxic, can seep, and can prove dangerous to aquatic organisms.
* '''Land and Wildlife''': Although more reclamation and restoration efforts are being promoted, the complete restoration of wetlands may never occur and the boreal forest cannot be restored to its native state following the closure of a mine. The disturbance of ecosystems with increased oil sands production can harm birds and other wildlife.

==References==
{{reflist}}
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