Resources-- Oil Sands

Alberta's oil sands extend from surface deposits to deposits at depths of 760 metres or greater and are enormous. They represent more than 48 billion cubic metres of potentially recoverable bitumen or 97 percent of Alberta's total petroleum resources. This is equivalent to more than one third of the world's known reserves of conventional crude oil.

The largest oil sands deposit is the Athabasca deposit, as it has an estimated 209 billion cubic metres of bitumen in place. The Athabasca deposit is followed by Cold Lake (35 billion cubic metres) and Peace River (23 billion cubic metres). About 10 percent of the oil sands at Athabasca lie close enough to the surface to be mined. The world's largest trucks and shovels are used to collect the bitumen, and then heat, water, and chemicals are applied to separate bitumen from the sands. Deeper oil sand deposits require in-situ ("in place") recovery techniques; this usually involves steam injection or underground combustion to reduce the viscosity of the bitumen so it can be pumped to the surface through conventional wells.

Billions of dollars have been invested to develop Alberta's oil sands and heavy oil. The biggest development operation is currently just outside Fort McMurray. 

This video is copyright Oil Sands Interpretive Center, Fort McMurray.
Used with permission of Historic Sites and Cultural Facilities Branch, Alberta Community Development.

At best, open pit mining will reach 7 or 8% of the oil sands.  That leaves 1.5 trillion barrels buried deep within the ground, untouched. And so the old question still drives oil sands researchers and entrepreneurs: How do you get the oil out of the oil sands?

The future of the Athabasca oil sands. Watch It

Story of the Tar Sands