Why should we care about oil sands?
The emissions produced by separating oil from sand make the resulting product ‘dirtier,’ in greenhouse gas pollution terms, than conventional oil produced in North America.
Does producing oil from oil sands require water?
All major energy production requires water Water is used in oil sands extraction to help separate extra-heavy crude oil, also known as bitumen, from the sand, clay and water that make up the oil sands.
What is the main issues with Canada’s oil sands?
Tar sands extraction emits up to three times more global warming pollution than does producing the same quantity of conventional crude. It also depletes and pollutes freshwater resources and creates giant ponds of toxic waste. Refining the sticky black substance produces piles of petroleum coke, a hazardous by-product.
Can oil sands be sustainable?
With the profits flowing to corporations and the long term costs being borne by the public, the Alberta oil sands are not a sustainable resource and their environmental impact will be borne for generations.
How can we sustain oil sands?
8 ways the Oil and Gas Industry is making better use of sustainable technologies
- Better use of data.
- Decreasing freshwater usage.
- Improving water recycling efforts.
- Reducing methane leaks.
- Used oil recycling.
- Streamlining/improving processes.
- Creating digital oilfields.
- Greater acquisition and use of renewable energy.
How long will the oil sands last?
It can run for the next 50 years, based on current plans. In October, producers extracted more than 3.84 million barrels a day from Alberta, a record, according to the Alberta Energy Regulator. Between January and October, production totaled 1.09 billion barrels, also a record.
Are oil sands clean?
Oil sand extraction results in the accumulation of large amounts of residual waste known as tailings, which contain a mixture of water, clay, un-recovered bitumen and solvent, and dissolved chemicals, including some organic compounds that are toxic. These tailings are stored in large ponds similar to water dams.
How can we improve oil production?
How does oil sands affect water?
Oil sands development consumes large amounts of water and energy—currently, two to five barrels of water (natural sources and recycled water) are required for every barrel of oil produced by mining—and produces byproducts such as contaminated tailings.
What are oil recovery methods?
The technologies employed in tertiary oil recovery are divided into four types generally, including chemical flooding, thermal recovery, gas flooding, and microbial flooding.
How is oil extracted from oil sands?
Open Pit Mining Currently, 20% of oil sands reserves are accessible via mining techniques. Large shovels scoop the oil sand into trucks which then move it to crushers where the large clumps of earth are processed. Once the oil sand is crushed, hot water is added so it can be pumped to the extraction plant.
Which is the best suited oil recovery process?
Thermal Oil Recovery is by far the most popular method used in the world during the tertiary stage of oil recovery. Steam injection is the most common method used in thermal EOR. It helps produce up to 30% of OOIP.
Can the world do without oil?
World Would Nearly Come to a Standstill without Oil The world would literally grind to a halt if oil was not available. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s oil consumption is used to fuel our various modes of transport, from airplanes and cars to buses and cargo ships.
What is the future of upgrading in the oil sands?
As the viability of full upgrading has diminished, many operators are now asking themselves what is the minimum number of pots and pans required to slightly improve quality and reduce diluent needs, without driving up operating costs. This is likely the future of upgrading in the oil sands.
How can I learn more about Horizon oil sands?
Select Horizon on the map to learn more. The Horizon Oil Sands include a surface oil sands mining and bitumen extraction plant, complemented by on-site bitumen upgrading with associated infrastructure to produce high quality SCO.
What is upgraded crude oil (SCO)?
Upgraded product is typically referred to as Synthetic Crude Oil (SCO), which is then sold to downstream refineries for conversion into final consumer products. Although exact equipment and configurations vary among the operators, a generic process flow diagram for a typical bitumen upgrader is as follows:
What does the future of heavy oil upgrading look like?
The future of upgrading likely lies in partial upgrading, where heavy oil is transformed just enough to reduce diluent requirements, lowering transportation costs and improving netbacks. Bitumen extracted from the oil sands is a heavy petroleum which contains a large fraction of complex long-chain hydrocarbon molecules.