In May 2021, environmentalists scored a stunning victory against big oil companies with potentially big implications for climate change, fossil fuel companies and the Canadian oil sands industry. A tiny American hedge fund, Engine No. 1, convinced shareholders of ExxonMobil…
How Tar Sands Affect Climate Change
April 23, 2021
What are tar sands?
Tar sands, also known as oil sands, are a fossil fuel deposit. They consist of sand, water, clay and bitumen – a thick type of oil.1 Canada’s oil sands are the largest deposit of crude on Earth.2
But, the oil sands industry is also highly…
Oil Sands Extraction: Methods, Processes and Effects
April 14, 2021
Canada’s oil sands are predominantly found in the western province of Alberta.1 There are three main regions: Athabasca, Cold Lake and Peace River.2
Collectively, they cover over 142,000 square kilometres (km2).3 That is larger than England’s total landmass.4 The current…
Oil Prices in Canada: How Do Oil Sands Affect Them?
April 9, 2021
Oil prices in Canada plunged to below zero on the 20th April, 2020. This means a historic low was reached.1 ‘Black April’ follows years of setbacks for the industry, ever since the international price of oil collapsed in 2014.2 In fact, with US President Biden revoking…
Oil Pipelines in Canada
January 29, 2021
Oil pipelines in Canada are an integral part of the country’s energy infrastructure.1 They are the safest and most efficient method of transporting large quantities of Canadian crude oil.2 But, they are also a divisive issue.
Environmentalists oppose pipeline…
Oil Sands Processing
August 6, 2020
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…
How does oil sands mining work? An overview
July 31, 2020
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 Oil Sands
May 26, 2020
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 Are The Latest Oil Sand Projects?
May 26, 2020
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…