Oil Extraction from the Alberta Oil Sands
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The Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, is one of the richest oil deposits in North America and is rumored to be the future of the energy needs of the North American Continent. The deposits in Alberta are divided into three major deposit areas, namely the Athabasca-Wabiskaw area, the Cold Lake area, and the Peace River area. These three deposits are so heavily saturated with oil that it is said to be second in amount to those in Saudi Arabia, and that is only on the surface. The oil in Alberta is found in the soil, and how it is extracted is very different from how they extract oil in the Middle East.
Oil Extraction from Sand
The Alberta Oil Sand deposits carry quite a large amount of oil, but it is not extracted through the usual methods we think is needed to get oil from the ground. The oil that can be found in these tar sands are extracted in an altogether different manner and can be gained through a few different techniques.
Surface Mining
Surface mining is the first known way to harvest the bituminous sand and has been used on the Alberta area for a few decades. The surface mining method of getting oil from the soil involves employing power shovels to scoop up the oil-rich sand and placing them in large dump trucks to be hauled away to be processed in extraction plants. In the past, this process used to be facilitated by bucket-wheel excavators and draglines and were carried to the plants via conveyor belts, however, the shovel and truck method these days are more cost efficient.
Once the sand reaches the extraction plants, a caustic soda and hot water mixture is added to the sand to prepare it for oil removal. This slurry mixture is then agitated and the oil that rises to the surface is then skimmed off. This is then further treated to remove any excess water and other solids that get trapped in the thick sludge.
Cold Flow
This is another technique that is employed in Alberta to extract the oil reserves found there. Although less popular than the surface mining technique, this technique has been used on the Athabasca, Cold Lake and Peace River deposits. Cold flow is a cheaper alternative to surface mining but sadly, only extracts 5 to 6% of the oil in the sand. This process basically pumps the oil out of the soil with the use progressive cavity pumps. This can only be used, however, in places where the mineral is fluid enough for the pumps being utilized.
Other Extraction Techniques
These are the two major ways being used to get the oil from Alberta Canada’s oil-rich sand with a few other techniques being tried out and researched as well. These other techniques include Cyclic Steam Stimulation and Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage. No matter what technique is employed to get the oil out of the soil, the fact still remains that these deposits show a huge promise in terms of investments and returns. Pretty soon, North Americans need not look to the East for their energy needs. It can be found within the same continent, in the Alberta Oil Sands of Canada.
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