tar sands
Heavy petroleum source
Tar sands are deposits of sand or clay saturated with bitumen—a thick, tar-like form of petroleum.
Extracting oil from tar sands requires energy-intensive processing, making it more expensive and environmentally damaging than conventional drilling.
Canada's Alberta province holds the world's largest deposits: The pipeline would carry oil from the tar sands.
Also called oil sands, especially by industry advocates.
Viscous hydrocarbon mixture
- oil sandsBitumen-clay-sand petroleum source
- open-pit miningSurface excavation for minerals
- overburdenLoad beyond capacity
- slurrySemifluid mixture of solids
surface mining · dragline · reclamation · strip mining · separator · upgrader
Viscous hydrocarbon mixture
- hydrocarbonsCarbon-hydrogen organic compounds
- upgradingImproving to superior version
- refineryIndustrial purification facility
- naphthaVolatile petroleum-derived solvent
distillation · viscous · petrochemicals · crude · refining · coking · desulfurization · pipeline
Alberta river and lake
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- AlbertaWestern Canadian province
- reservoirLarge water storage basin
deposit · formation · stratum · sandstone · porous · subsurface · outcrop · basin
Post-extraction mineral waste
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- carbon footprintTotal greenhouse gases produced
- boreal forestSubarctic coniferous woodland zone
- watershedDrainage area boundary
pollution · habitat destruction · reclamation · deforestation · wetlands · biodiversity loss · contamination · groundwater
Opposition to fuel conduits
- First NationsCanada's non-Inuit indigenous peoples
- climate activismOrganized push for ecological policy
- divestmentDisposal of assets
- moratoriumTemporary prohibition or delay
lobbying · environmental justice · treaty rights · blockade · civil disobedience · regulatory · energy security · transition
bitumen
Viscous hydrocarbon mixture
- oil sandsBitumen-clay-sand petroleum source
- open-pit miningSurface excavation for minerals
- overburdenLoad beyond capacity
slurry · surface mining · dragline · reclamation · strip mining · separator · upgrader
bitumen
Viscous hydrocarbon mixture
- hydrocarbonsCarbon-hydrogen organic compounds
- upgradingImproving to superior version
- refineryIndustrial purification facility
naphtha · distillation · viscous · petrochemicals · crude · refining · coking · desulfurization · pipeline · blending
Athabasca
Alberta river and lake
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- AlbertaWestern Canadian province
reservoir · deposit · formation · stratum · sandstone · porous · subsurface · outcrop · basin · overburden
tailings
Post-extraction mineral waste
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- carbon footprintTotal greenhouse gases produced
- boreal forestSubarctic coniferous woodland zone
watershed · pollution · habitat destruction · reclamation · deforestation · wetlands · biodiversity loss · contamination · groundwater · toxic
pipeline protest
Opposition to fuel conduits
- First NationsCanada's non-Inuit indigenous peoples
- climate activismOrganized push for ecological policy
- divestmentDisposal of assets
moratorium · lobbying · environmental justice · treaty rights · blockade · civil disobedience · regulatory · energy security · transition · oil dependency
- fossil fuelspetroleum, crude oil, natural gas, coal, anthracite
- heavy industrysteel mills, steel production, steel industry, steelmaking, smelters
- natural resourcescrude oil, lumber, water, gas, air
- petroleumcrude oil, crude, petroleum, oil wells, oil fields
- pollutionair pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, smog, toxic waste
- energy sourcesoil, gas, coal, solar, wind
tar sandsclean energy
Power from sustainable sources
renewable energy · solar power · wind power · green energy · sustainable energy
tar sandssolar energy
Harnessed stellar radiation
wind energy · renewables · clean power · green energy · sustainable fuel
sand, tar, sandy, sanded, sanding, tarry, tardiness, sandbag, sander