Guide book, edmonton geological society geological association of canada annual field trip, 2004. 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. Koch brothers political activism protects their 50year stake in canadian heavy oils long involvement in canadas tar sands has been central to koch industries evolution and positions the. The books homepage helps you explore earths biggest bookstore without ever leaving the comfort of your couch. In this post, i will talk about a recent american petroleum institute apisponsored media trip i made to see canadas oil sands, and give a little background on material being extracted. But oil sands developers were always riding a crest of scarcity and high costs in oil, because theyre a high cost source, says professor parson. This is the first in a twopart series about canadas oil sands. Dirty oil and the future of a continent, revised and updated edition ebook written by andrew nikiforuk. Shell oil surprised the environmental community in september by announcing an end to arctic drilling. Roger butler and in situ development oil sands alberta. Dirty oil and the future of a continent by andrew nikiforuk. A plan to unlock billions of barrels of oil from utahs sands. While references are supplied, not all are adequately linked. Geology of the fort mcmurray area, northeast alberta.
Winner of the national business book award longlisted for the 2018 bc nat. The full listan amazing 18 titlesincludes books for just about everyone, from dedicated environmentalists to foodies to naturefriendly kids. Feb 17, 2011 tar sands pipeline poses health risks, campaigners claim onearth. Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or more technically bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Bailey say they can unlock billions of barrels of oil in utah and surrounding states, and from other shallow oil sands. In 1943, the federal government decided to aid oil sands development, and took over the abasand plant. But if there is a national project to grapple with here it already exists at one end of that proposed pipeline. Osca uses a collaborative approach that facilitates engagement, builds relationships, and. Then confidently explore shale gas, shale oil, ultradeep water, tight gas, coal bed methane, heavy oil and oil sands. Theyre all among the subjects of this months new environmentally themed books. History of the oil sands although the oil sands of alberta have only been developed commercially since the late 1960s, their documented history dates back nearly three centuries to 1717, when waupisoo of the cree people brought samples of the oil sands to the hudsons bay company trading. As conventional sources of crude oil are depleted, unconventional sources of oil, such as the bitumen found in oil sands, play a larger role in offsetting declining conventional production.
Ten books to contextualize the alberta tar sands active history. The osca will continue to operate as a regional industry association working collaboratively with key external nonindustry stakeholders. The energy portfolio managed by the blm includes oil and gas, coal, oil shale, tar sands, and increasingly, renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal. As a result, the economic benefits of oil sands development reach across canada and around the globe.
Although we are a new organization, osca was built on 20 years of cooperation by oil sands companies with municipal governments and stakeholders through predecessor organizations including the oil sands developers group osdg and the. The oil sands community alliance osca has the mandate to pursue innovative solutions to build thriving communities and enable the responsible growth of canada oil sands. How falling oil prices could help stop the keystone xl. Dirty oil and the future of a continent, revised and updated edition. The oil sands pioneers of alberta wildfires might be what come to mind when most people think of northeastern alberta, owing to recent news coverage of the record evacuation of about 88,000 people from the fort mcmurray area. The boreal ecosystem of the athabasca oil sands continues to be the socioeconomic basis of subsistence and livelihood for these first nations communities, as well as the foundation of cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs carter, 1999. As debate over the keystone xl and other pipeline projects continues, crude oil from the alberta tar sands and western u. Oil sands are either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, saturated with a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum technically referred to as bitumen or colloquially as tar due to its.
World oil provides news, oil prices, data, statistics, shale reports and upstream industry trends relating to the exploration, drilling, completion and production of oil and gas, both onshore and. Were a nation that can make the impossible possible. New extraction technologies are opening up even more of the. In 2002 albertas oil sands lobbyists had a major breakthrough. Eyl 1922 compiles the definitive oil and gas map of kentucky, for that time, and shows the location of these refineries. List of tar sands companies rainforest action network. Canadas oil sands are developed by the private sector, with major investments from companies based in canada, the united states, europe, and asia. Few industries afford that community such opportunities for socioeconomic advancement. History of the oil sands regional aquatics monitoring. How has the global economic crisis affected the price of oil.
This book is a lucid and fair presentation of history, context and science surrounding the tar sands controversy, and, as such a. Osca uses a collaborative approach that facilitates engagement, builds relationships, and creates measureable socioeconomic benefits. The oil sands developers group is taking steps to improve the quality of the discussion around canadas oil sands by correcting misinformation and showing how the industry is working to address both environmental concerns and our need for energy. Thanks to innovation and technology we can recover oil from the oil sands, providing energy security for the future. History of the petroleum industry in canada oil sands and. I knew the tar sands had a high environmental cost but what this book shows. Oil sands boom dries up in alberta, taking thousands of.
Why canadas oil sand producers will recover quickly from the. Yuval noah harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. 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. According to a study released in may 2009 by cambridge energy research associates,3 if oil sands development is maximized, canada could potentially account for as much as 37 percent of u. Tar sands pipeline poses health risks, campaigners claim. Canadas most shameful environmental secret must not. China invests billions in canada oil sands houston chronicle. Why canada needs to develop the oil sands the globe and mail. Why canadas oil sand producers will recover quickly from the wildfires. Focused on the politics of tar sands development in alberta, particularly the inconsistent tensions between the federal and provincial. The nearly 1,200mile pipeline would move as many as 830,000 barrels of heavy crude oil from albertas tar sands oil fields to gulf coast refineries. The removal this year of a significant tax advantage for canadas income trusts, which have been among the largest backers of tar sands projects, caused canadian oil sands, one of the largest trusts, to post its first net loss in its 10year history. An excellent, wellcrafted and very enlightening read.
The demand for oil increased by 15% from 2000 to 2011, and will likely reach a global demand of 42,500 million barrels per year in 2030. Canada has the thirdlargest oil reserves in the world. Like it or not, the oilsands are a national project and you. We also have a faq that includes donation and campaign info you may find helpful. Underground developments oil sands albertas energy. Aug 24, 2007 a shifting landscape of taxation also dogs tar sands ambitions. Greenpeace uk referred to the oil sands as one of the most destructive fuel sources possible. Lucas blew out on spindletop hill near beaumont, southeast texas. Albertas oil sands are the thirdlargest proven crude oil reserve in the world, next to saudi arabia and venezuela. Developing albertas oil sands is a wellresearched, wellwritten, tightly argued book as oil sands development intensifies, the story will continue. However, reserves of conventional crude oil are declining, and the emphasis is shifting from conventional oil production to the development of nonconventional sources, including oil sands. Environmental impacts of oil sands the environmental impact of the oil sands is an issue that has been extremely divisive. Oil sands planetizen urban planning news, jobs, and education.
Dig out unexpected potential, and find the sweet spots for your economic bottom line. Critics warn that this development poses a threat not only to the environment but to public safety. After that point, the rate of petroleum extraction will decrease. The book also documents and exposes some of the dishonestly, fraudulent anti oil sands claims that have been made within canada and relayed internationally by an unquestioning media. Tar sand, also called bituminous sand, deposit of loose sand or partially consolidated sandstone that is saturated with highly viscous bitumen.
Canadas oil sands are the largest deposit of crude oil on the planet. Nov 28, 2018 as oil from alberta continues to sell at record discounts, american refineries are enjoying lucrative profit margins at the expense of canadian oil producers. The oil production history of canada remains unique in the world. The oil sands or tar sands, are a mixture of sand, water, clay and a type of oil called bitumen. If exploited the tar sands could cause significant environmental damage. These last three farms charlie staples have oil sands named for them. The oil sands fact book by the canadian association of. The oil sands in alberta is the largest energy project in canada and is certain to be the longest lived mining operation in the countrys history. Canadas tar sands is the thirdlargest proven crude oil reserve in the world behind saudi arabia and venezuela. Soon, oil had replaced most other fuels for motorized transport. The alberta oil sands technology and research authority aostra is formed to promote the development of new technologies for oil sands and heavy oil production.
Steve, i would note that all oil sands developers commit to reclamation of their properties once mining is complete. Segment fields via well profile clustering, and automatically route alerts to experts. And despite exxons recent announcement that it had wiped off its books all 3. When new shale gas fields in the us are constrained by the capacity of the existing oil and gas pipeline network, it results in bottlenecks and low prices at the production site. Please know that our response time may be slower than usual given the extraordinary.
The seven books you must read if you want to understand oil. In aboutface, transcanada asks us to put off keystone decision. Here youll find current best sellers in books, new releases in books, deals in books, kindle ebooks, audible audiobooks, and so much more. Here is some light reading on light crude with a tilt to history, science, and talking your way out of a business meeting on. This book is a lucid and fair presentation of history, context and science surrounding the tar sands controversy, and, as such a valuable book to think with. Comparing venezuelan and canadian heavy oil and tar sands. The people, pipelines, and politics of the oil sands by. The federal researchers concluded that the hot water process was uneconomic because of the extensive heat loss and proposed a cold water process. Natural bitumen deposits are reported in many countries, but in particular are found in extremely large quantities in canada. Osca was established in 20 with some 15 industry members whose assets are in the athabasca oil sands area. Canadas proven petroleum hydrocarbon reserves include the oil sands in the athabasca basin of northeastern alberta and saskatchewan. A history of the red fork, cleveland and glenn pool oil fields oklahoma city.
There is no reference to this company in the register of alberta companies or the financial post survey of oils for 1929 the first year it came out. Ottawa to consider penning oilsands caribouedmonton penning wild caribou in the oilsands region is a recovery option for the species that should be considered, says a federal document that echoes a recent industryfunded study. Drilling in search of a basement reservoir of oil is the initial focus of development in albertas oil sands. During the campaign, bp also continued to invest in canadian tar sands. While it produces conventional oil, most comes from the alberta oil sands, the worlds third largest proven oil reserve at 170 billion barrels. Our researcher is quite familiar with the early oil companies that operated in southern alberta but this company is unknown to him. Joyce hunt, author of an awardwinning book about oil sands history. Environmental impacts of oil sands development in alberta. Plans to pipe more oil from the tar sands of canada to the us pose water and health threats to americans, says the nrdc keith. Koch brothers political activism protects their 50year. Early evening shots of nexens long lake phase i integrated oil sands facility situated 40 km south east of fort. As with the extraction and use of any fossil fuel, negative environmental effects arise as a result of the extraction, upgrading, and processing of bitumen from the oil sands. The completed alberta government oil sands project plant, ca. This new book is an important educational tool for anyone in the petroleum industrywhether upstream, downstream, or pipelinewho would like to learn the fundamentals of the most commonly known unconventional oils.
The canadian oil sands are the second largest proven oil reserve after saudi arabia. Alberta government issues report on oil sands potential. In 2011 it was believed the reserve amounted to 170. The untold history of the athabasca oil sands 1900 to 1930.
Is it more or less expensive to extract oil from oil sands than conventional methods. China faces buyers remorse in canadas oil patch the globe. Vintage refers to the date of discovery of the oil or gas pool from which production. Peak oil states that the extraction of petroleum cannot match the growing oil demand, and will reach its maximum rate at a given point of time. The energy east pipeline was mourned this week as a nationbuilding project. Environmental impacts of oil sands energy education. If the oil sands have been a curiosity to you and you want to fully understand and appreciate the events tha. Oil sands history author joyce hunt responds to questions about the term tar.
Mar 08, 2012 conviction, tenacity and determination are traits that have long been associated with canada. Canadas most shameful environmental secret must not remain hidden tzeporah berman tar sands have been dubbed the largest and most destructive industrial project in human history. The people, pipelines, and politics of the oil sands. Nuttall kentucky oil history home 1860 to 1900 after 1900this page is a work in progress and is incomplete. Jan 15, 20 it is also worth noting that the oil sands developers group reported more than 1,700 aboriginals were employed in permanent operations jobs in the industry during 2010. Sign in to view your account details and order history. Unearthing facts in the oil sands debate cim store. A good deal of the controversy about oil sands development centers around those tailings ponds, which cover more than square kilometers in northern alberta, according to the 2008 report 11 million litres a day. Canadian oil and natural gas producers canadas oil sands. If alberta, with its population of four million people, were a country, it would be the fifth largest oilproducing nation. Greenwashing and corporate environmental responsibility. Oil and natural gas pools are classified by vintage for royalty calculation purposes.
May 19, 2010 i think steve means that oil sands developers are destroying the environment and that the first nations are suing some or one of the developers. Approximately 23% of alberta is affected by oil sands development 50 times the area of the actual mining zone leases have been issued that will threaten 3000 km2 of boreal forest an area the size of the state of florida 149,000 km2 can be leased to oil sands development in the future. Joyce hunts illustrated book entitled local push global pull is a documented history of canadas oil sands from 1900 to 1930. But work at the plant came to an end with a disastrous fire in 1945. This works for oil sands developers because they get worldclass. This transition will ensure the association has a more direct focus on the socioeconomic impacts associated with oil sands development. Check back regularly to find your next favourite book.
The electronic transfer system ets provides secure access to account holders to do business with alberta energy and environment and parks. Map showing the location of the athabasca, cold lake. Out of consideration for the health and safety of our staff and community, our office is currently closed and all ran staff are working remotely. According to the canadian association of petroleum producers, oil sands now. Americans enjoy a quality of life today that depends largely upon a stable and abundant supply of affordable energy. Bitumenheavy oil oil sands american association of. The athabasca oil sands representing about 80% of canadas bitumen reserves also happens to be the only one shallow enough to lend itself to surface mining, which, as we will see, is the primary method for removing oil sands. Alberta government oil sands project plant at bitumount succeeds in separating crude oil from oil sands. 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. What do rachel carson, sea otters, toxic toads and the gold king mine disaster have in common. Oil recovered from tar sands is commonly referred to as synthetic crude and is a potentially significant form of fossil fuel.
Of concern are the effects of the industrial development on the environment. How has the economic crisis affected the oil sands development in. However, oil sands mining has restricted their access to these land and resources. 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. Canadas long history of cancelled oil and gas megaprojects. The purpose of these maps is to show all existing development related to tar sands throughout alberta for the first time. Lentispeak oil wikibooks, open books for an open world. Many of the maps also include approved andor proposed industrial development. There are hundreds more employed in oil field service and support jobs as well. The alberta energy and utility board estimates that these contain about 1. Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but dr.
Aug 09, 2017 the massive increase in oil prices in the 1970s, a decade of operations of great canadian oil sands now suncor, and the completion of syncrude in 1978 gave rise to more largescale oil sands mining projects. Red fork field the encyclopedia of oklahoma history and culture. Oil sands, a mixture of sand, bitumen a heavy crude that does not flow naturally, and water, can be mined or the oil can be extracted insitu using thermal recovery techniques. Critics brand the oil sands as the dirtiest oil on earth.