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Athabasca oil sands

Extent in Alberta, Canada
NameAthabasca oil sands
RegionNorthern Alberta
CountryCanada
Lat D57.02
Lat NSN
Long D111.65
Long EWW
Coordinates Typetype:landmark
Coordinates Displayinline,title
OffonshoreOnshore, mining
OperatorsSyncrude, Suncor, CNRL, Shell, Total, Imperial Oil, Petro Canada, Devon, Husky, Statoil, Nexen
PartnersChevron, Marathon, ConocoPhillips, BP, Oxy
CaptionExtent in Alberta, Canada
Discovery1848
Startofproduction1967
Currentproductionoil1,300,000 barrels/day
Estimatedstoiip133,000 MMBbl (21.2×109m3)
ProducingformationsMcMurray, Clearwater, Grand Rapids

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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 around the boomtown of Fort McMurray. These oil sands, hosted in the McMurray Formation, consist of a mixture of crude bitumen (a semi-solid form of crude oil), silica sand, clay minerals, and water. The Athabasca deposit is the largest reservoir of crude bitumen in the world and the largest of three major oil sands deposits in Alberta, along with the nearby Peace River and Cold Lake deposits. Together, these oil sand deposits lie under 141000 km2 (54440.4 sqmi) of sparsely populated boreal forest and muskeg (peat bogs) and contain about 1.7 Toilbbl (0.7 e9m3) of bitumen in-place, comparable in magnitude to the world's total proven reserves of conventional petroleum.

With modern unconventional oil production technology, at least 10% of these deposits, or about 170 Goilbbl (65.6 e9m3) were considered to be economically recoverable at 2006 prices, making Canada's total oil reserves the second largest in the world, after Saudi Arabia's. The Athabasca deposit is the only large oil sands reservoir in the world which is suitable for large-scale surface mining, although most of it can only be produced using more recently developed in-situ technology.

Athabasca Oil Sands Video

3-d virtual flyover of the massive tar-sands strip mining operation, stretching across more than 16 miles, near the town of Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. Generated using Google Earth. No audio. Playing time 2:08. For more information and to get a sense of scale, check out: en.wikipedia.org and skytruth.mediatools.org
2.15 min. | 2.92 user rating		 Athabasca Tar Sands Host; Dr. David Pearson. Alberta Tar Sands & Sudbury Basin- Lesson 22 - Part 1 of 8 •Geology of Athabasca tar sands •1778 discovered by fur traders, Indians used first for patching boats 1888 Geological survey realized the economic success, not for oil put for paving roads. •1920's Adolf Clark separated the oil from the sand •Tar sand geological lies as a unconformity
10.00 min. | 5.0 user rating		 Excerpt from Walking on Oil: Alberta's Oil Sands from TMW Media to purchase this title on DVD, go to www.tmwmedia.com Summary: Discover the real truth about the biggest oil deposits in the world and the stunning environmental impact of oil exploration in the spectacular scenery of Albertas oil country. Concerns about the future supply of conventional oil have attracted new attention to the potential yield from "oil sands." Walking on oil Alberta's Oil Sands focuses on the Provinces crude bitumen oil sands estimated to be the World's largest hydrocarbon deposits. According to the World Energy Council, Alberta's reserves are estimated to stand at least 1600 billion barrels. Certain experts claim that Alberta's oil sands contain more petroleum than Saudi Arabia's oil fields and enough resources to supply Canadas energy for more than 475 years or total world energy needs for up to 15 years. But does the World need this oil resource? Albertas Oil Sands The Problem and the Conflict: The fuel from the tar sands is thick and heavy and is bound to water and sand. Extraction of the oil and refining it destroys countless miles of irreplaceable forest land and requires enormous amounts of energy and water. Tar sands oil production creates 2 to 3 times as much greenhouse gas as production of conventional oil hence the contribution to global warming. Enormous machinery is used to remove trees, rocks, soil and sand from the earth and once the tar sands are removed, the resulting huge <b>...</b>
3.20 min. | 0 user rating		 Safety is always our first priority. Learn about the importance of safety at Shells Canadian Athabasca Oil Sands Project.
1.12 min. | 3.0 user rating		 Learn what the oil sands are and how they're developed as well as whats being done to protect the environment, pioneer technology, reclaim land, engage communities, and provide economic opportunities.
7.40 min. | 3.0 user rating
Big Trucks at the Athabasca Oil Sands 2003.
0.82 min. | 0 user rating		 Oil Sands project-John DiBella vice president of Enviro Voraxial Technology discusses the potential of new sales to the oil sands industry in Alberta, Canada. Tarsands can economically environmentally benefit from the voraxial separator.
4.52 min. | 5.0 user rating		 Panoramic view from the edge of an oil sands tailings pond. There are mountains of light-coloured sand with flecks of coke. If you listen carefully there are the occasional dull thuds that are the sound of canons fired to keep birds of the tar-laden tailings.
0.52 min. | 5.0 user rating		 Athabasca River, Fort McKay, Alberta (May 18, 2009) in the heart of the Alberta oil sands production region. The video was taken from the old barge landing just south of the Bitumount site where the first commercial bitumen processing began in the 1930s (see www.ramp-alberta.org
0.62 min. | 0 user rating		 McKay River (or Red River to Fort McKay people), which feeds into the Athabasca River just south of Fort McKay, in the heart of the Alberta oil sands production region. This video was taken was taken about ten kilometres upstream from where the McKay River flows into the Athabasca River.
0.85 min. | 0 user rating

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The Learn About Futures Insider for Oct 28th, 2010: Crude Oil - Inside Futures Tweet this news
Inside Futures--Crude -oil- comes in many colors and consistencies, from hydrocarbon rich reservoirs in Texas to the heavy -oil sands- of Canada and Venezuela. ... - Date : Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:16:28 GMT+00:00
Stelmach to visit 'wrong Indians' - Edmonton Journal Tweet this news
Edmonton Journal--It will be Stelmach's first trip to the northern Alberta hamlet, where some residents insist they are being poisoned by -oilsands- contaminants. ... - Date : Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:18:30 GMT+00:00
/C O R R E C T I O N from Source -- Oilsands Quest Inc./ - MarketWatch (press release) Tweet this news
MarketWatch (press release)---Oilsands- Quest Inc. is exploring and developing -oil sands- permits and licences, located in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and developing Saskatchewan's first ... - Date : Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:51:48 GMT+00:00
Stop the studies, start the cleanup - National Post Tweet this news
National Post--Alberta officials could only cringe when a senior US State Department representative flew in this week to study the -oil sands-' environmental and safety ... - Date : Fri, 29 Oct 2010 05:48:35 GMT+00:00
Black Bonanza Review - GreenMuze Tweet this news
GreenMuze--Black Bonanza: Canada's -Oil Sands- and the Race to Secure North America's Energy Future, by Canadian author Alistair Sweeny, takes you on an historical, ... - Date : Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:23:16 GMT+00:00
Cenovus Q3 earnings drop despite oilsands production gains - Resource Investing News Tweet this news
Resource Investing News--s Keystone pipeline posed challenges for Cenovus' growing -oilsands- production from Christina Lake and Foster Creek, which jumped 25 per cent from last year, ... - Date : Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:37:12 GMT+00:00
Royal Dutch Shell writes off $1B in oilsands assets - Montreal Gazette Tweet this news
Montreal Gazette--But it is assigning higher priority to its proposed Carmon Creek in situ project near Peace River and ongoing expansion of its -Athabasca Oil Sands- Project ... - Date : Thu, 28 Oct 2010 21:29:01 GMT+00:00

Suncor Mine
Syncrude Mine 41,700 262,000
Shell Canada Mine 26,800 169,000
In Situ Projects 21,300 134,000
Total 120,800 760,000

Major Athabasca Oil Sands Projects (as of December 2007)
Transportation :
Project Name Type Major Partners National
Affiliation		 2007 Production
(barrels/day)		 Planned Production
(barrels/day)
Suncor Primarily Mining Suncor Energy Canada 239,100 500,000
Syncrude Mining Syncrude Canada (some China, USA) 307,000 550,000
Albian Sands Mining Shell(60%), Chevron(20%), Marathon(20%) UK/Netherlands, USA 136,000 770,000
MacKay River SAGD Suncor Energy Canada 30,000 190,000
Fort Hills Mining Suncor Energy(60%), UTS Energy(20%), Teck(20%) Canada
140,000
Foster Creek, Christina Lake SAGD Cenovus Energy(50%), ConocoPhillips(50%) Canada, USA 6,000 400,000
Surmont SAGD Total S.A.(50%), ConocoPhillips(50%) France, USA
193,000
Hangingstone SAGD Japan Canada Oil Sands (JACOS) Japan 8,000 30,000
Long Lake SAGD Nexen(65%), OPTI Canada(35%) Canada
240,000
Horizon Mining and in situ Canadian Natural Resources Limited Canada
500,000
Jackfish I and II SAGD Devon Energy USA ?? 70,000
Northern Lights Mining Total S.A.(60%), Sinopec(40%) France, China
100,000
Kearl Mining Imperial Oil, ExxonMobil USA
300,000
Sunrise SAGD Husky Energy(50%), BP(50%) Canada, UK
200,000
Tucker SAGD Husky Energy Canada ?? 30,000
Oil Sands Project Mining and SAGD Total S.A. (76%), Oxy (15%), Inpex (10%) France, USA, Japan
225,000
Ells River SAGD Chevron(60%), Marathon(20%), Shell(20%) USA, UK/Netherlands
100,000
Terre de Grace SAGD Value Creation Inc Canada
300,000
Kai Kos Dehseh SAGD Statoil Norway
200,000
Black Gold Mine Mining? Korea National Oil Corporation Korea
30,000
Total 726,100 5,068,000

Mining Projects
Natural gas use and greenhouse gases :
Operator Project Phase Capacity Start-up Regulatory Status
Royal Dutch Shell Jackpine 1A 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2010 Under construction
1B 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2012 Approved
2 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2014 Applied for
Muskeg River Existing 155,000 bbl/d (24,600 m3/d) 2002 Operating
Expansion 115,000 bbl/d (18,300 m3/d) 2010 Approved
Pierre River 1 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2018 Applied for
2 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2021 Applied for
Canadian Natural Resources Horizon 1 135,000 bbl/d (21,500 m3/d) 2009 Operating
2 and 3 135,000 bbl/d (21,500 m3/d) 2011 Approved
4 145,000 bbl/d (23,100 m3/d) 2015 Announced
5 162,000 bbl/d (25,800 m3/d) 2017 Announced
Imperial Oil Kearl 1 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2010 Approved
2 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2012 Approved
3 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2018 Approved
Petro Canada Fort Hills 1 165,000 bbl/d (26,200 m3/d) 2011 Approved
debottleneck 25,000 bbl/d (4,000 m3/d) TBD Approved
Suncor Energy Millenium 294,000 bbl/d (46,700 m3/d) 1967 Operating
debottleneck 23,000 bbl/d (3,700 m3/d) 2008 Under construction
Steepbank debottleneck 4,000 bbl/d (640 m3/d) 2007 Under construction
extension 2010 Approved
Voyageur South 1 120,000 bbl/d (19,000 m3/d) 2012 Applied for
Syncrude Mildred Lake & Aurora 1 and 2 290,700 bbl/d (46,220 m3/d) 1978 Operating
3 Expansion 116,300 bbl/d (18,490 m3/d) 2006 Operating
3 Debottleneck 46,500 bbl/d (7,390 m3/d) 2011 Announced
4 Expansion 139,500 bbl/d (22,180 m3/d) 2015 Announced
Synenco Energy Northern Lights 1 57,250 bbl/d (9,102 m3/d) 2010 Applied for
Total S.A. Joslyn 1 50,000 bbl/d (7,900 m3/d) 2013 Applied for
2 50,000 bbl/d (7,900 m3/d) 2016 Applied for
3 50,000 bbl/d (7,900 m3/d) 2019 Announced
4 50,000 bbl/d (7,900 m3/d) 2022 Announced
UTS/Teck Cominco Equinox Lease 14 50,000 bbl/d (7,900 m3/d) 2014 Public disclosure
Frontier 1 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d) 2014 Public disclosure

Petroleum industry

ExplorationPetroleum engineering (Reservoir simulation * Seismic to simulation) * Petroleum geology * Geophysics * Seismic (Seismic inversion) * Petrophysics * Core sampling
DrillingDrilling engineering * Underbalanced drilling * Directional drilling * (Measurement while drilling * Geosteering) * Drilling fluid * Drill Stem Test
DevelopmentCompletion (Squeeze job) * Well logging * Pipeline transport * Tracers
ProductionArtificial lift (Pumpjack * ESP * Gas lift) * EOR (Steam injection * Gas reinjection) * Water injection * Well intervention * Upstream * Midstream * Downstream * Refining
Technical challengesDifferential sticking * Drilling fluid invasion * Blowouts * Lost circulation
Oil and gas agreementsProduction sharing agreements * Concessions * Service Agreements * Risk agreements
Data by countryTotal energy (consumption per capita * intensity) * Natural gas (consumption * production * reserves * imports * exports) * Petroleum (consumption * production * reserves * imports * exports)
SupermajorsExxonMobil * Royal Dutch Shell * BP * Chevron Corporation * ConocoPhillips * Total S.A. (See also: National oil companies)
Major oil provincesNorth Sea * East Texas * Persian Gulf * Athabasca oil sands * Gulf of Mexico * Venezuela * Niger Delta * Russia
Related articlesOPEC * History of petroleum * Peak oil * Oil price increases since 2003 * Price of petroleum * Society of Petroleum Engineers * Swing producer



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