Bitumen, the sticky stuff that ancients used to glue the tower of babel together, is the worlds most expensive hydrocarbon. Find out about what the oil sands are, how they are produced, environmental impacts, and science and innovation in the oil sands. Another concerns the influence of the oil sands industry in monitoring its own activity. Learn about shale and tight resources, production, and economic implications across canada. Pitched battles are a regular occurrence in northern alberta, canada, as development of the provinces oil sands continues to expand. Since the price collapse, teck resources has delayed the start of its oil sands. Jun 29, 2011 6 outstanding companies investing in canadian oil sands. On prince edward islands, the sands take on a distinctive bloody hue of red from an abundance of iron. In 2018 about 63% of canadas crude oil production was from the oil sands. There were a couple of cases like this in the list where i thought it would better to be more explicit and put links in every point you dont want it to. Newly updated, andrew nikiforuks tar sands is a critical expose of the worlds largest energy projectthe alberta oil sandsthat has made canada one of the worst environmental offenders on earth. Sep 06, 2019 canada s oil sands production was 114 thousand cubic meters in 1967.
Oil sands pollutants contaminate traditional first nations. Energy investors wrote off canadas tar sands after oil prices plummeted 50% between 2014 and 2016. There were a couple of cases like this in the list where i thought it would better to be more explicit and put links in every point. Aug 25, 2014 leonardo dicaprio visits alberta tar sands for new documentary oil companies are all riled up after its revealed that the actor is researching the region for a new environmental documentary. Winner of the national business book award longlisted for the 2018 bc. They could lead canada to becoming the first source of oil for the u.
Chris turner is an awardwinning author and one of canadas leading voices on. The alberta tar sands are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in canada and stand as the single greatest obstacle to canada meeting its global climate change responsibilities. Finally, yesterday the dominion published a new wave of exploitation which examines the struggles of the lubicon and the growing selloff of their traditional territory for tar sands exploitation. Nikiforuk writes an excellent background book of the disaster that is the socalled tar sands debacle in alberta canada. Red sands of prince edward island breadalbane, prince. Disturbing aerials reveal canadas vast tar sand mines. Leonardo dicaprio visits alberta tar sands for new. Canada has the third largest oil reserves in the world and 97% of these reserves are in the oil sands. Tar sands in canada are on the verge of an explosive comeback. Nearby riverbeds are visible as water levels strain under industrial use.
Canadas oil sands are uniquely positioned to contribute to meeting the growth in energy demand. The dirty fight over canadian tar sands oil dredging up oil from under canadas boreal forest and piping it through the united states is a loselose. Through its canmetenergy laboratories, natural resources canada is committed to supporting the development of technological solutions to help drive improved environmental performance in the oil sands. As a result, alberta now sits atop one of the worlds most soughtafter resources, though the seat is hardly comfortable. These tar sands had been known for centuries, early indigenous travelers used this tar like material to repair their canoes. Fourty years ago canada began producing crude bitumen from its oil sands. He is the author of multiple nonfiction books, including tar sands, winner of the prestigious rachel carson environment book award, saboteurs, winner of canadas governor generals literary award for nonfiction. The halt on new projects has left order books increasingly blank at a variety of suppliers, like engineering firms. It is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. The oil sands have been operating for decades, and vigilance is important to ensure continued maintaining of the ecoculture, and surrounding areas, but the oil sands continue to be a good source of oil for north america, it is well maintained and has an enormously low impact where it is located. Oil sands, or tar sands, are a type of petroleum deposits made.
They could lead canada to becoming the first source of oil. Seen from the sky, the tar sands reach beyond the horizon and seem to go on forever, resembling a painful scar on the earth of epic proportions. The soft red sandstone has eroded over time, producing about 500 miles of rosy red beaches. Sand grains are commonly white, brown, tan, cream, red, grey or black in color. A picnic table overlooks syncrudes mildred lake oil sands upgrader north of fort mcmurray. Tar sands and canadas violation of indigenous people. Alberta produces about 80% of the oil in canada, and canada is the fifth largest producer of oil in the world. Oil sands boom dries up in alberta, taking thousands of jobs. The people, pipelines, and politics of the oil sands chris turner on. The dominion has recently published its special issue on the alberta tar sands. Production over the last 35 years, canadian crude oil production.
And canada is on the forefront of their exploitation. Until 2018, total oil sands production in canada reached an annual amount of nearly 165 million cubic meters. Only saudi arabia and venezuela have greater proven oil reserves than canada, but 97% of canadas 174 billion barrels are in oil sands, mostly in alberta. The 120odd active oil sands projects are owned by major oil companies from canada and around the world, including the u. Chief among them, for me, is the total gdp contribution of the industry. Here are 7 key facts about the oil sands and the environment. In 2011 it was believed the reserve amounted to 170. It scars the land with deep gashes, barren pits, and murky tailing ponds. Everything you need to know about the tar sands and how. Pulling oil from the tar sands of canada is an ugly business.
The importance of canadas oil sands canadas oil sands are important to the u. Nov 26, 20 canada s tar sands is the thirdlargest proven crude oil reserve in the world behind saudi arabia and venezuela. From tar sands oil to aviation, global business sectors have called for suspension of environmental protections published. This difficulttofind resource has made canada the numberone supplier of oil to the united states, and every major oil company. The people, pipelines, and politics of the oil sands. Pollution from canadian oil sands vapor is substantial. Four of the articles published so far have focused on the. In fact, the international energy agencys recently released world energy outlook 2009 report predicts longterm growth for canadas oil sands production climbing to 5 million barrels a day by 2030. There is no need to follow canadas lead, or be left in the cancerridden dirt because canada is unable to engage in sustainable practices. There could also be a 10 facts list about the oil tar sands based on economics which i think would be just as influential. Please note we are not affiliated in any way with the government of canada. Canadas tar sands are located in the northern half of the province of alberta along with some deposits in neighbouring saskatchewan. Disturbing aerials reveal canadas vast tar sand mines wired. Crude bitumen is extracted from the mined tar sands through a process that mixes the tar sands with hot water to separate the bitumen from the sand.
Canadas tar sands muck and brass briefing the economist. An oil sands strip mine, north of fort mcmurray, alberta. They get smaller and smaller until they reach the beach or a lowlying area as sand. Oil sands are either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum technically referred to as bitumen. Nov 14, 2017 tar sands have been dubbed the largest and most destructive industrial project in human history. Producing a barrel of tars sand oil emits three times more greenhouse gases than producing a barrel of conventional oil, making tar sands oil some of the dirtiest on the planet.
Last year, natures past, the canadian environmental history podcast. Leonardo dicaprio visits alberta tar sands for new documentary oil companies are all riled up after its revealed that the actor is researching the region for a new environmental documentary. The tar sands are located in the heart of canadas boreal forest, a nearly continuous belt. Rising oil prices and falling production costs favour the extraction of oil from albertas tar sands. In north america, oil sands production provides secure and reliable supply, reducing reliance on foreign imports and providing economic growth in both canada and the u. Oil sands pollutants contaminate traditional first nations foods. Al jazeera english, 2008 on youtube riz khan canadas dirty oil. Tar sands have been dubbed the largest and most destructive industrial project in human history. The oil sands fact book by the canadian association of. So many books about wars and uprisings go to great depth in describing atrocities and the horrific things that happen. We cannot provide any guidance with respect to services and information. This book is full of love and the choices that the ordinary people make in the course of their lives. Dirty oil and the future of a continent, revised and.
Oil sands brochure fact sheet natural resources canada. Canadas tar sands is the thirdlargest proven crude oil reserve in the world behind saudi arabia and venezuela. List of tar sands companies rainforest action network. And despite exxons recent announcement that it had wiped off its books all 3. The united states imports the majority of its oil, not from saudi arabia or venezuela, but from its neighbour to the north. Questions of national selfdetermination, controversies over royalty rates and profound environmental concerns have made the oil sands one of canadas touchstone issues. Per barrel greenhouse gas ghg emissions have decreased. The shape of a piece of sand can help determine its source and age. There could also be a 10 facts list about the oiltar sands based on economics which i think would be just as influential. Another concerns the influence of the oil sands industry in monitoring its own. Approximately 80% of canadas oil sands lie deep below the surface and cannot. Canadas oil sands production was 114 thousand cubic meters in 1967. Processing the oil sands uses enough natural gas in a day to heat 3 million homes in canada.
A new book of aerial photographs, beautiful destruction, captures the awesome scale and devastating impact of albertas oil sands with stunning colours, contrasts and patterns. Western canada the following key assumptions have been used to determine available oil sands supply. Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or more technically bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Oil sands boom dries up in alberta, taking thousands of. Oct, 2015 the halt on new projects has left order books increasingly blank at a variety of suppliers, like engineering firms. May 26, 2016 an oil sands strip mine, north of fort mcmurray, alberta. Today, the oil sands are a huge part of the canadian economy and also one of the countrys biggest political debates. Does this mean heat 3 million homes in canada for a day or for a winter or. Apr 14, 2017 and despite exxons recent announcement that it had wiped off its books all 3. The sands are the second largest source of oil in the world after saudi arabia.
In this awardwinning book, a canadian bestseller, journalist andrew nikiforuk exposes the disastrous environmental, social, and political costs of the tar sands. Canadas most shameful environmental secret must not. The oil sands fact book published on oct 31, 2012 this pocket book is designed to give you fast, easy access to oil sands facts that will help you get in on the discussion. The tar sands are vast oil fields and mines in the canadian province of alberta. The oil sands comprise more than 98 percent of canadas 173 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. These oil sands, hosted primarily in the mcmurray formation, consist of a mixture of crude bitumen a semisolid rocklike form of crude oil, silica sand, clay minerals, and water. Alberta in canada boasts one of the biggest oil deposits in the world. Jul 29, 2010 andrew nikiforuk is an awardwinning canadian journalist who has been writing about the oil and gas industry for more than two decades. Exxons big bet on oil sands a heavy weight to carry. Canadas most shameful environmental secret must not remain. Facts about albertas oil sands and its industry open government. Canada has the thirdlargest proven oil reserve in the world, most of which is in the oil sands.
The tar sands are located in the heart of canadas boreal forest, a nearly. Even though the canadian oil sands are loaded with a potential 300 billion barrels of oil. Tar sands interrupted a canadian political explosion. Oil produced from bitumen sands is often referred to as unconventional oil, to separate it from traditional liquid. Covering a landmass of 140,200 km2 54,2 miles2, the deposits span a region larger than 24 us states, the country of englan, or 2. The athabasca oil sands, also known as the athabasca tar sands, are large deposits of bitumen or extremely heavy crude oil, located in northeastern alberta, canada roughly centred on the boomtown of fort mcmurray. Al jazeera english, 2009 online copy on youtube on youtube 60 minutes the alberta oil sands. Dec 31, 2015 the dirty fight over canadian tar sands oil dredging up oil from under canadas boreal forest and piping it through the united states is a loselose proposition. A fictionalized account of black ops and time travel.
Canadas oil sands help supply americas energy needs while also. About canadas oil sands calgary economic development. Sand is a mixture of very small pieces of different rocks or minerals. Tar sands canada for sale documentary by tom radford, 2008. Tar sands critically examines the frenzied development in the canadian tar sands and the farreaching implications for all of north america. Questions of national selfdetermination, controversies over royalty rates and profound environmental concerns have made the oil sands one of canadas. Pollution from canadian oil sands vapor is substantial, study. A powerful, lyrical novel of the endurance of love, set amid the uphe. But heinberg in searching for a miracle argues that the environmental costs of expanding production to this extent may be unbearable. It is the same minerals from which those pieces are broken, such as granite and feldspar. One ongoing battlewith another salvo launched in february 2011 with the leak of a european commission report1concerns how dirty oil sands are, relative to other fuels. Ten books to contextualize the alberta tar sands active history. The technical term for the oil extracted from tar sands is crude bitumen, which is defined as a viscous thick, heavy oil that will not flow to a well in its natural state.
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