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The Alberta Oil Sands

The Alberta Oil Sands. Where are the Oil Sands?. Alberta Oil Sands. There are 3 major Deposits: Athabasca Cold Lake The Carbonate Triangle: Peace River, Wabasca and Buffalo Head Hills The Athabasca Deposit is the largest, and is the only area being mined.

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The Alberta Oil Sands

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  1. The Alberta Oil Sands

  2. Where are the Oil Sands?

  3. Alberta Oil Sands There are 3 major Deposits: Athabasca Cold Lake The Carbonate Triangle: Peace River, Wabasca and Buffalo Head Hills The Athabasca Deposit is the largest, and is the only area being mined. Cold Lake deposit is only being drilled (in-situ). The Carbonate Triangle is too difficult to access currently

  4. What Type of Ecozone? The Oil Sands are found in the boreal plains ecozone. Canada’s largest biome and contains many animals, plants and products. Human activities are causing stress and changes to this land. Cumulative and long-term effects will cause far-reaching and potentially disastrous changes to the forest.

  5. What is a Watershed?

  6. What is a Watershed? • An area that drains all surface water into the same body of water • Starts as tiny trickles of water and becomes large rivers and oceans • Always flow from high elevation to low elevation, and from upstream to downstream

  7. The Athabasca Watershed The water starts in the Rocky Mountains and flows NORTH towards the Arctic Ocean. The Athabasca oil sands are in the middle of the watershed, which means waters downstream can be affected by its pollution.

  8. Alberta Watersheds

  9. What are the Oil Sands? • The sands are in the ground and are a mix of: sand, clay, water, and viscous petroleum = BITUMEN • Bitumen exists in the semi-solid or solid phase of natural deposits • It will not flow unless: • Heated • Diluted

  10. METHOD 1: Mining • When sands are 40-60 m deep • Remove overlying soil and rock • Excavate the oil sands

  11. EXTRACTION (Oil from Sands) • Hot water and solvents (e.g. caustic soda) are added to the sands • Slurry is piped to extraction plant • It is agitated and bitumen is skimmed from top • Sand, water, fine clays and minerals are called the tailings and are sent to tailing ponds • Bitumen is further processed to become crude oil

  12. METHOD 2: In Situ (Drilling) • When sands are buried too deep • >75 m, often 350-600 m below the surface • Steam, solvents or thermal energy make the bitumen flow • It is then pumped by a well to the surface

  13. http://www.oilsands.alberta.ca/about.html

  14. Nature of Things Documentary • Video - The Nature of Things with David Suzuki | CBC-TV

  15. Environmental Problems?

  16. http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/videos/index.html#0a4NSyDVBPl_gDeUcQjEP_Vz9ewPT2_Shttp://www.calgaryherald.com/news/videos/index.html#0a4NSyDVBPl_gDeUcQjEP_Vz9ewPT2_S

  17. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PI68l8e-bw

  18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE3LaNzPvnk

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