oil sands
Tarry petroleum source
Oil sands, also called tar sands, are naturally occurring deposits of sand, clay, water, and bitumen—a thick, heavy form of petroleum.
Found in large quantities in Alberta, Canada, and Venezuela, they represent a significant but controversial source of crude oil.
Extracting usable petroleum from oil sands requires energy-intensive processes that are more expensive and environmentally damaging than conventional drilling.
The oil sands industry has transformed northern Alberta's economy and landscape.
Viscous hydrocarbon mixture
- tailingsPost-extraction mineral waste
- overburdenLoad beyond capacity
- strip miningRemoving overburden for minerals
- open-pitExcavated from exposed ground
shovel · truck · excavator · dragline · clearcutting · separation · slurry · surface mining
Formed from deposited material
- depositPlace for safekeeping
- AthabascaAlberta river and lake
- AlbertaWestern Canadian province
- formationCreation or arrangement
McMurray · Devonian · porosity · permeability · stratigraphy · outcrop · saturation
Improving to superior version
- refineryIndustrial purification facility
- frothMass of small bubbles
- distillationPurification via vaporization
- viscosityFluid's flow resistance
Recovery of something lost
- carbon emissionsReleased greenhouse gases
- greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat
- water contaminationHarmful substances in drinking supply
- habitat lossElimination of living spaces
deforestation · air quality · sulfur dioxide · boreal forest · wetlands · remediation · monitoring
Planetary atmospheric transformation
- carbon footprintTotal greenhouse gases produced
- indigenous rightsProtections for original inhabitants
- activismDirect effort for reform
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
fossil fuels · divestment · First Nations · treaty rights · consultation · environmental justice · energy transition
Web presentation language
- horizontal drillingSubsurface excavation parallel to ground
- reservoirLarge water storage basin
- heatingRaising temperature artificially
- subsurfaceBelow the outer layer
bitumen
Viscous hydrocarbon mixture
- tailingsPost-extraction mineral waste
- overburdenLoad beyond capacity
- strip miningRemoving overburden for minerals
open-pit · shovel · truck · excavator · dragline · clearcutting · separation · slurry · surface mining · reclamation
sedimentary
Formed from deposited material
formation · McMurray · Devonian · porosity · permeability · stratigraphy · outcrop · saturation
upgrading
Improving to superior version
- refineryIndustrial purification facility
- frothMass of small bubbles
- distillationPurification via vaporization
reclamation
Recovery of something lost
- carbon emissionsReleased greenhouse gases
- greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat
- water contaminationHarmful substances in drinking supply
habitat loss · deforestation · air quality · sulfur dioxide · boreal forest · wetlands · remediation · monitoring
climate change
Planetary atmospheric transformation
- carbon footprintTotal greenhouse gases produced
- indigenous rightsProtections for original inhabitants
- activismDirect effort for reform
protest · fossil fuels · divestment · First Nations · treaty rights · consultation · environmental justice · energy transition
CSS
Web presentation language
- horizontal drillingSubsurface excavation parallel to ground
- reservoirLarge water storage basin
- heatingRaising temperature artificially
- fossil fuelspetroleum, natural gas, coal, anthracite, lignite
- natural resourceslumber, water, gas, air, coal reserves
- petroleumcrude, petroleum, oilfields, kerosene, diesel fuel
- energy sourcesgas, coal, solar, wind, nuclear
- extractionmining, excavation, distillation, filtration, extraction
- oil industrypetroleum, crude, drilling, drilling rig, refineries
oil sandsrenewable energy
Self-replenishing natural power
solar power · wind energy · clean energy · green energy · sustainable energy
oil, sand, oily, sandy, sands, sandstorm, sandbag, oiler, oiliness