An Introduction to the Alberta Oil Sands
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Oil sands, which are also called tar sands, are found in several countries all over the world. Recently, it has been found out that Alberta has one of the biggest oil sands reserves around the globe. The main deposit is situated within Athabasca which is located at the northeastern part of Alberta. These oil sands are solid in room temperature; however, oil is released from the black sands when the temperature rises. So, when the climate of the province is hot and humid, oil oozes along the valleys of the river.
Why the Oil Sands in Alberta Is Widely Used?
Since the start of the 1990’s, the oil sands in Alberta have become the main source of energy within the country. The reasons behind this consist of three important factors.
- The production of crude oil in the province of Alberta is more than the expected average production.
- There has been a utilization of “in-situ” technologies, like gravity drainage assisted by steam and stimulation of cyclic steam, for operations on field-scale.
- The oil sands of Canada are known to be an inherent part of the oil deposits of the world.
Total Supply of Oil in Alberta
During 2003, the oil sand reserve of the province has been estimated to reach more than a hundred billion barrels. In the year of 2001, the manufacture of natural bitumen and artificial crude oil is more than the expected average manufactured oil. There is an expected 80 percent increase of oil manufacture in Alberta by 2013.
The Recovery of Oil Sands
Because of the thickness of the oil, it is a challenge to allow it to stream from its depths and into the wellbore. In order to extract the viscous oil, “in-situ” ways are used. The largest oil extraction project of Canada uses stimulation through cyclic steam. This is done through the injection of steam to the wellbore and into the reservoir which heats up the bituminous sand. Then the heated bitumen is soaked and the same wellbore is utilized to pump the fluids up. Another challenge for the extraction of oil is the use of gas and water for the generation of the steam, and for the emission and reclamation control of possible greenhouse gases. It takes a range of 2.5 to four water barrels and 28 cubic miles of gas to manufacture a barrel of oil.
The reclamation of the oil mining sites has been standardized to balance the productivity of the environment. During the mid-months of 1970, the energy crises of North America have designated the oil sand deposits of Canada as an important resource for the energy requirements of North Americans. Because of this, the efforts and interests on the extraction of the oil sand reserves have increased. Twenty percent of the oil sand deposits in Alberta can be extracted through surface mining. On the other hand, eighty percent of the oil sand deposits are buried deep. They can be extracted through the use of in-situ technologies.
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