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Eco-Glossary

Oil Sands

 
Oil sands (also called tar sands) are a combination of clay, sand, water and bitumen (a heavy, black, viscous oil). They can be mined and processed to extract the oil-rich bitumen, which is then refined into oil. The bitumen in oil sands cannot be pumped from the ground in its natural state; instead oil sand deposits are mined, usually using strip mining or open pit techniques, or the oil is extracted by underground heating with additional upgrading. Oil sands are mined and processed to generate oil similar to oil pumped from conventional oil wells, but extracting oil from tar sands is more complex than conventional oil recovery.
 
Much of the world's oil (more than 2 trillion barrels) is in the form of oil sands, although it is not all recoverable. While they are found in many places worldwide, the largest deposits are found in Canada and Venezuela, and much of the rest is found in various countries in the Middle East. In the U.S., resources are primarily concentrated in eastern Utah, where the in-place oil sands oil resources are estimated at 12 billion to 19 billion barrels. (Source: EIS / Photo: Flickr)

Recent Stories


Winter Olympics fans target Canada's oil sands

Mon, Feb 22 2010 at 1:20 PM EST

A new Sierra Club campaign urges environmentalists to fight oil sands to preserve winter sports.


Film decries Canadian oil mining

Tue, Oct 13 2009 at 7:57 PM EST

‘Dirty Oil’ slams Canada’s oil extraction industry, calling it one of the world’s most polluting industrial projects.


Canada invests in carbon capture for oil sands

Sun, Oct 11 2009 at 8:00 PM EST

Joint venture will capture up to 1.1 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions per year from the environmentally toxic Alberta oil sands.


RAN hangs banner at Niagra Falls

Tue, Sep 15 2009 at 8:19 PM EST

RAN targets Tar Sands oil with dramatic banner at Niagra Falls urging President Obama to 'just say no' to dirty oil.


Construction to begin on Minn. oil pipeline

Thu, Aug 20 2009 at 6:54 PM EST

State Department clears the way for cross-country pipeline as angered environmentalists charge that Canadian oil sands refineries emit massive levels of greenhouse gases.


The dark side of Canada's oil boom

Wed, Jul 22 2009 at 5:26 AM EST

Canada now produces more oil than Texas or Kuwait. A new book uncovers the dark underbelly of our northern neighbor.


Cheap oil winners and losers

Thu, Feb 19 2009 at 4:40 PM EST

What is the upside and downside of cheap oil? Who is coming out on top and who is getting snowed under when oil is under $40/barrel?


Will Obama stop the tar sands devastation?

Tue, Feb 17 2009 at 8:23 PM EST

In anticipation of Obama's visit to Canada, environmentalists circulate petition to stop 'dirty oil.'

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