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Oil sands are a combination of sand, clay and water that contain a heavy crude oil variant called bitumen.1 But, this complex hydrocarbon is almost solid at room temperature and does not flow without extensive processing.2 Subsequently, there are two ways to extract the…

Amidst mounting evidence for their contribution to climate change, our global dependence on fossil fuels such as oil and gas remains steadfast. Oil sands mining operations – a common method of synthetic oil production – continue to operate in various countries across the…

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) oil sands mining operation. Photo Credit: Ryan Jackson. Available at: https://calgaryherald.com/business/energy/what-you-need-to-know-about-restarting-alberta-oilsands-production Though some people say that there are many…

The composition of an oil sand deposit. (Source: Oil Sand Magazine) Available at: https://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/technical/properties Which of the following processes transforms oil-saturated sandstones into tar sands? There are several processes…

Canada prides itself on its immense crude oil resources that are the third largest in the world1, but its mining is causing grave environmental consequences. Most of these resources are found in the south-west Canadian province of Alberta. More specifically, the Athabasca…

What is an oil sand? Oil sands are a mix of sand, water, clay, and bitumen, which is type of oil. They have a very thick, viscous texture1. Oil sand projects extract this oil from the sand. The oil is extracted and flows through a pipeline to refineries. Then…